Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Jollibee Guam flagship Restaurant Opening Early April

    Jollibee Guam flagship Restaurant Opening Early April

    Filipino fast food chain Jollibee, the largest and fastest-growing Asian restaurant company in the world, is soon to open its flagship brand in Guam.

    The first Jollibee Guam outlet will launch at Micronesia Mall on Saturday, April 6.

    “We’ve seen people queue even in extreme weather to enjoy our unique and tasty food,” said Jollibee Foods Corporation’s president and head of international business Dennis Flores. “We invite everyone – Chamorus, Micronesians, mainland Americans in Guam; everyone here in Guam – to come taste and see for themselves why people are willing to wait and line up for our food.”

    With Jollibee operating in Guam – where America’s day begins – the company says it can claim that it is serving food to more diners on American soil at any given moment of the day or night. Jollibee has 37 stores in the US.

    Jollibee, from its humble beginnings as an ice cream house in 1975, quickly grew into a fast-food giant with more than 1300 stores worldwide. Its openings have drawn queues with people lining up to 20 hours for a taste of their Jollibee favourites.

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  • Emperor Watch & Jewellery sales slowing down in Hong Kong, Macau

    Emperor Watch & Jewellery sales slowing down in Hong Kong, Macau

    Emperor Watch & Jewellery sales rose strongly in Hong Kong and Macau last year, due to a rebound in tourism in the first half and the opening of new stores.

    Hong Kong remained the group’s core market, with sales there up 19.6 per cent. In Macau, sales rose 224 per cent, according to the company’s latest results.

    Adjusted net profit of $269 million represented a 68.1 per cent improvement over the preceding year.

    Emperor Watch & Jewellery sales in Singapore and Mainland China were broadly stable year on year.

    The company ended the year with 95 stores, a net gain of 15. Six of the new stores were jewellery shops opened in Hong Kong, all in shopping malls with heavy foot traffic, such as Telford Plaza I in Kowloon Bay, APM in Kwun Tong and Mostown in Ma On Shan.

    In Malaysia, the company opened its first store, a 2000sqft site in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

    Sales of watches grew 13.1 per cent to HK$3.664 billion, accounting for 77.6 per cent of group sales. Jewellery sales rose by 25.5 per cent to $1.058 billion, thanks to an expanded store network and greater marketing activity.

    In its results, Emperor Watch & Jewellery described last year as one “of contrasts”.

    “The first half of the year was marked by encouraging growth for the luxury consumption market in general. However, this growth was not sustained and the second half was punctuated by a fall-off in market sentiment in the shadow of a prolonged Sino-US trade dispute.”

    It said the macro-economic headwinds such as the trade dispute, a cooling Chinese economy and swings in currencies present “formidable business challenges in the near term”.

    “Over the past decades, the group has witnessed many ups and downs, and has emerged stronger after each cycle. As such, the group will continue to execute responsive and flexible strategies while fine-tuning its priorities to stay competitive. The group will also strive to optimise its cost structures across each level of business and remain vigilant regarding uncertainties on the horizon.”

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  • Japan’s NETSTARS joins Singtel’s VIA alliance

    Japan’s NETSTARS joins Singtel’s VIA alliance

    Singtel‘s cross-border mobile payments alliance VIA has expanded into Japan through a partnership with Tokyo-bassed mobile payment technology NETSTARS.

    The addition of NETSTARS to the alliance will add 100,000 stores to the network’s current 1.6 million merchant partners in Asia.

    With the agreement, users of mobile wallets supported by VIA, including Singtel’s Dash and AIS Global Pay, will be able to use their respective wallets at merchants including airports, shopping malls, transportation modes and food and beverage outlets.

    Users will be able to pay instantly in their local currency with competitive foreign exchange rates in Japan.

    NETSTARS aims to grow its merchant base to 1 million stores throughout Japan by the end of next year

    As well as Dash and AIS Global Pay, Thailand’s Kasikornbank and Malaysia’s Boost will soon be adding their mobile wallets to the VIA alliance.

    Singtel Group plans to expand the VIA alliance to include other mobile regional associates including Airtel in India, Globe in the Philippines and Telkomsel in Indonesia, as well as more non-telco partners.

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  • RCom chief spared jail over debt to Ericsson

    RCom chief spared jail over debt to Ericsson

    Reliance Communications (RCom) has terminated a deal to sell its telecom assets to Reliance Jio Infocomm after failing to receive regulatory approval.

    But RCom’s founder Anil Ambani has been granted a last-minute reprieve from being imprisoned for failing to meet the company’s court-ordered repayment obligations to major creditor Ericsson after support from his older brother and founder of Reliance Jio Mukesh.

    In a stock exchange filing, RCom blamed its decision to terminate its asset sale plan to factors including a failure to receive the required permissions from the Department of Telecom.

    RCom also has not received notice of consent or objection from more than 40 of its foreign an Indian lenders regarding the proposed sale, despite holding over 45 meetings over a 15 month period, the company said.

    RCom has also decided to attempt fast track resolution of its overall debt through the National Company Law Tribunal, and the Tribunal has restrained the company from selling or transferring ay assets while the case is ongoing.

    But due to last minute intervention from Mukesh Ambani, RCom revealed in a second statement that the company has managed to make the required 5.5 billion rupee ($80.1 million) payment to Ericsson before the deadline for him to be jailed.

    Ambani was last month found to be in contempt of court over a failure to make the 5.5 billion rupee payment RCom had promised to make to Ericsson in September. He was given four weeks to make the payment or face being jailed for three months.

    “My sincere and heartfelt thanks to my respected elder brother, Mukesh, and Nita, for standing by me during these trying times, and demonstrating the importance of staying true to our strong family values by extending this timely support,” Anil Ambani said in a statement.

    “I and my family are grateful we have moved beyond the past, and are deeply grateful and touched with this gesture.”

    Ambani was referring to the fallout the two brothers had over the inheritance of Reliance Industries from their father Dhirubhai Ambani following his death in 2002. The brothers have since reconciled.

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  • Pandora launches Modes, a new feature for free and premium listeners

    Pandora launches Modes, a new feature for free and premium listeners

    Pandora has just announced it’s bringing a brand new feature to all customers using its music streaming service regardless if they pay for it or not. Dubbed Pandora Modes, the new feature allows both free and premium users to customize their playlists on their favorite Pandora stations.

    Using Pandora Modes, listeners will be able to switch from the classic Pandora station algorithm, currently called “My Station,” to one of five other preset modes that affect the types of songs that are played for each user.

    Basically, the more you “thumb up” or “thumb down” songs that you listen to on Pandora Modes within your station, the more personalized modes become. But here are the Pandora Modes that are now available for listeners and what they do:

    • My Station: The classic station experience you know and love.
    • Crowd Faves: You’ll hear the most thumbed-up songs by other listeners within that station
    • Deep Cuts: You’ll go deeper into the catalog of that station artist/genre.
    • Discovery: You’ll hear more artists who don’t usually play on that station.
    • Newly Released: You’ll hear the newest releases from that station artist/genre.
    • Artist Only: You’ll hear only songs by that station artist.

    In order to take advantage of these Pandora Modes, you have to go to one of your favorite stations or create a new one, select “Now Playing,” and they should show up for that particular station beneath its name.

    By default, the station will be switched to “My Station” mode, but you will be able to switch between all the modes mentioned above and stop to whichever suits your tastes. Keep in mind though the while the Pandora Modes are now available on the web, mobile users will only be able to use them in the coming months.

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  • Inbox gets its official shutdown date and Google lies

    Inbox gets its official shutdown date and Google lies

    Google let Inbox users know quite a while ago that it would be shutting down the app in March 2019 and Google has continually promised that users’ favorite Inbox features would be integrated into Gmail before anyone was forced to leave Inbox. Now, Google has put a specific date on the Inbox shutdown despite that promise not having been kept.

    Inbox users have been getting a pop-up notification for a while reminding them that the app is going away and urging users to try out Gmail, but in the past day, that notification has gotten more specific. Now, the notification gives a more accurate timeline with the number of days left before Inbox is shut down and the countdown points to April 1st. Unfortunately, right after that Google straight up lies to Inbox users by claiming that “You can find your favorite Inbox features in the Gmail app.”

    As an avid Inbox user since the app launched, I can say unequivocally that is a lie. Gmail has gotten options to snooze emails, which is probably someone’s favorite Inbox feature, but that’s about it. Gmail still doesn’t have all of Inbox’s bundles (like Trips), it doesn’t highlight actionable items inline (like attachments, places, etc), it doesn’t have an option to save links to Inbox (instead it added Keep and Tasks to Gmail’s sidebar, which isn’t the same, it doesn’t have an option to quickly archive all items in a group (be it a bundle or a group of messages from a specific day), and Gmail also doesn’t have Inbox’s option to pin messages or notes.

    Maybe Google will surprise us and add all of those features in the next two weeks, but given how slowly features from Inbox have been added to Gmail, it seems pretty unlikely. In the meantime, users are being forced to leave Inbox and unless Google surprises us all with a major upgrade to Gmail, it seems poised to have lied about what Inbox users can expect when migrating to Gmail.

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  • Relax with CooTek’s Breeze app amidst soothing sounds

    Relax with CooTek’s Breeze app amidst soothing sounds

    That riot of a trend for soul-soothing sights and sounds from our electronic devices has given birth to underload like Cardi B.’s autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) videos but also to a universe of apps that help us relax and sleep better. Enter Breeze, CooTek’s revamped Relax Music app that brings about a complete set of tools for your chill-out vibes or midday meditation session in the office bathroom. White or pink noises are just the beginning, as Breeze categorizes its soul trips by activity, be it traveling, trying to focus, or simply trying to nap.

    From crunchy steps in the snow through bird chirping to wheat rustling in the wind, the app’s set offers a rich variety of nature sounds tailored to your preference or specific activity. The guided meditation sessions can get you from chants to singing bowls and improve your relaxation technique further. CooTek has put significant effort in upgrading the Breeze experience from sound sets to narrated sessions tailored to specific needs which are fittingly called “Courses”.

    There are entries that teach you how to meditate if you do it for the first time, with soothing voices of English actors, in addition to female-specific relaxation techniques, next to an inventive ASMR list that includes such morning staples like a hair dryer or kitchen cleaning sounds. Breeze ran a chill-out campaign providing meditation booths at the MWC expo, and plenty of folks took the chance to relax from the show floor madness by just sitting or lying down and listening to the relaxing narrators for daydreaming guided meditation.

    Now, don’t outsource your parental responsibilities to an app, but you can also supplement tucking your offspring in with the bedtime stories category, too. It does what it says on the tin by playing fairy tales or sweet lullabies all the while you are sitting by your kids’ bed watching the process.

    All basic sections of Breeze are free and ad-supported while getting to the Premium level for a few bucks opens all sounds, removes ads and above all, gives you access to all of the guided relaxation programs that the app offers. Check Breeze out if you are in the mood for de-stressing.

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  • 1.4 million super saving Vietjet tickets priced from MYR0 up for grabs for three days!

    1.4 million super saving Vietjet tickets priced from MYR0 up for grabs for three days!

    With the arrival of the vibrant summer season, Vietjet has opened ticket sales on three new domestic routes, including Can Tho – Hai Phong, Can Tho – Vinh and Can Tho – Thanh Hoa which will operate from April 26, 2019.

    Celebrating this special occasion, Vietjet is offering 1.4 million super saving tickets priced only from MYR0 (*) on three golden days from March 20 to March 22, 2019 via the airline’s website. The promotional tickets are available during the golden hours from 1.00pm to 3.00pm, and applicable for all domestic routes in Vietnam. Travel time is from May 21, 2019 to December 31, 2019?

    The Can Tho – Hai Phong route will operate daily return flights; flying time is around 1 hour and 55 minutes per leg. The Can Tho – Vinh route will operate return flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday; flying time is around 1 hour and 50 minutes per leg. Meanwhile the Can Tho – Thanh Hoa route will operate return flights on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday; flying time is around 1 hour and 55 minutes per leg.

    Subsequently in May 2019, Vietjet will introduce two more new routes from Can Tho to Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa province) and Dalat (Lam Dong province). With the addition of these new routes, Vietjet will have the distinction of being the only airline with the most routes and flights from and to Can Tho – the capital city of the Mekong Delta area.

    With a network comprising 39 domestic routes and 69 international routes, Vietjet operates safe flights with a technical reliability rate of 99.64% — the highest rate in the Asia Pacific region. As a fully-fledged member of International Air Transport Association (IATA), Vietjet has obtained the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate and has been awarded a 7-star ranking, the world’s highest rate for safety, by AirlineRatings.

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  • Apple’s new iPod Touch might be announced somewhere this week

    Apple’s new iPod Touch might be announced somewhere this week

    As Apple has done in the past prior to product launches, yesterday the company shut down its online store for a few hours. When it reopened, an updated iPad Mini and an all-new iPad Air were introduced.Earlier today, in a very unexpected move, the Apple Store was updated yet again. But rather than closing and then reopening it, the Cupertino giant simply added its improved iMac computers to the website. Now, according to MacRumors, it seems Apple may have yet another product update planned for tomorrow.

    The iPod Touch could be Apple’s third announcement this week

    Earlier this month, MacRumors received a tip claiming that Apple would announce new products on March 18th, March 19th, and March 20th. The first day would see the debut of new iPads, while the second would see the introduction of new iMacs. This has proven to be accurate thus far and, as a result, means the information about the third day is likely correct too. “What will Apple be announcing tomorrow?” You may be asking.

    Well, according to the tip, it’ll be an all-new iPod Touch. The current-gen iPod Touch dates back to June 2015 and is in dire need of a refresh. The model on sale now sports a tiny 4-inch Retina Display paired with an 8-megapixel rear camera and the aging Apple A8 processor. It’s also one of the few remaining Apple products to sport the company’s iconic home button but no Touch ID.

    Larger display, better processor, perhaps no headphone jack

    Considering Apple’s current focus on larger devices, the new iPod Touch will probably introduce a bigger display. The exact dimensions remain a mystery at the moment, but Apple’s new product might borrow the 4.7-inch display found on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8. After all, this would avoid any unnecessary costs. Another big upgrade will presumably happen on the inside. In order to guarantee Apple’s usual 4-5 years of software updates, the new iPod Touch might adopt either the Apple A10 Fusion or the Apple A11 Bionic chip. The newer A12 Bionic is a possibility too, but this would probably increase the product’s cost too much.

    Like many of Apple’s other devices, there’s a strong possibility the next-gen iPod Touch will ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack. However, it should finally gain Touch ID, allowing for secure mobile payments, and receive a new set of updated cameras.

    Could the new iPod Touch focus on gaming?

    Once again, Apple’s next-gen iPod Touch will probably focus on music. But a recent trademark application revealed that Apple might also promote its mobile gaming capabilities. Over the years, iTunes and Apple Music support has become less of a selling point and more of a standard. As a result, the new iPod Touch might be marketed as a low-cost mobile gaming device instead.Interest in such a device will probably be quite limited initially, but the market does have potential for growth.

    Over the past few years, gaming smartphones have become much more popular and the market is gradually being flooded with them. Even Nintendo is said to be considering a gaming smartphone of its own, which means now could be the perfect opportunity for Apple to enter the market with a new iPod Touch.

    iPod Touch (7th-gen) release date and pricing

    If Apple does announce a 7th generation iPod Touch tomorrow, pre-orders will probably commence immediately prior to a release next week. Pricing does remain a bit of a mystery at the moment, but Apple could potentially stick with its current iPod Touch price points – the 32GB version retails for $199 while the 128GB model costs $299. The new iPod Touch should be available in an extensive range of colors, like the current-gen model. Apple could either keep the current iPod Touch finishes or adopt the iPhone XR’s colors.

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  • AR version of Angry Birds comes to iOS this spring

    AR version of Angry Birds comes to iOS this spring

    Remember when Angry Birds was the most popular mobile game around? Many of you who played religiously ended up moving on to more graphically complex games. Maybe Rovio’s characters, which the company once said would make it the next Disney, suffered from overexposure with licensing deals. The fowl foul had their faces plastered all over the place from Band Aids to board games to underwear.

    You can’t say that Rovio hasn’t tried to keep up with the times. VR versions of Angry Birds are available for Oculus Rift and Vive, and an AR variant of the game can be played on the Magic Leap headset. And today, the company has announced that Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs will soon be available for certain Apple iPhone and Apple iPod models. Using Apple’s ARKit, a flat surface like a coffee table is overlaid with different stages while the phone itself becomes the slingshot.

    Players can walk around each stage, looking for hidden items and areas where the pigs might be most vulnerable to attack. Rovio is offering the game for free in partnership with Resolution Games, although we are pretty sure that there will be some in-app purchasers that players can make.

    “We’re delighted to bring the beloved physics-based gameplay of Angry Birds to life through augmented reality. It’s an especially timely moment to bring our avian friends to mobile AR for the first time, as this year marks the tenth anniversary since the release of the first Angry Birds game.”-Kati Levoranta, CEO, Rovio Entertainment

    “This game evokes the core of what makes AR gameplay truly AR. With its engaging characters, classic Angry Birds slingshot gameplay and ability to move around the structures, it utilizes the unique elements of Apple’s ARKit and showcases what AR gameplay is capable of, which is pretty amazing when you see it come to life.”- Tommy Palm, Resolution Games.

    Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs is available today to pre-order from iTunes and it will be released in the late spring of 2019. Don’t expect to see an AR version of Angry Birds for Android anytime soon since the phone version of the new AR Angry Birds game is an Apple exclusive for now.

    For those familiar with the old Angry Birds games, the rules are the same. You try to knock down as many pigs as possible by using a slingshot to propel one of the Angry Birds toward the swine. One difference is that now you see the slingshot from a first-person perspective. Fling back on your phone to send the Angry Bird flying toward its target. Originally, there will be as many as 40 different levels in the game.

    Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs is compatible with all iPhone models dating back to the iPhone 6s, all iPad Pro models, iPad fifth and sixth generation, and the new iPad Air and iPad Mini tablets introduced yesterday.

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  • Apple to announce AirPower and AirPods wireless charging case

    Apple to announce AirPower and AirPods wireless charging case

    According to Max Weinbach, Apple’s seventh-generation iPod Touch will make its international debut sometime tomorrow. Once again, specifics about the product weren’t provided but this announcement info does coincide with a previous rumor from earlier today. After the iPod’s announcement, Apple could proceed with the unveiling of two other products. Weinbach’s sources acknowledged that they haven’t worked on AirPower or the AirPods wireless charging case directly.

    However, they did confirm the possibility of these products launching later on this week. If Apple’s strategy so far is anything to go by, the AirPower charging mat will probably be announced on Thursday. This will presumably be followed in Friday by the debut of the AirPods wireless charging case. But if Apple wishes to cut the week short, it could announce both products simultaneously.

    As a further indication of Apple’s plans to launch AirPower soon, recent changes to the iOS 12.2 beta have resulted in “significant” modifications to the wireless charging code. More specifically, the operating system now includes the code “responsible for identifying that two devices are charging on the same mat,” something AirPower will support.

    Apple’s AirPods 2 might still be months away

    As you may have noticed, there has been no mention of AirPods 2. Unfortunately, this is because the sources believe Apple’s next-gen wearable won’t launch until September alongside the iPhone 11 series. Rumor has it that AirPods 2 will look fairly identical to the originals. But in the hope of improving grip and reducing slipperiness, Apple is believed to be preparing a new frosted glass-like coating. This same coating may be present on the 2019 iPhone series.

    The new AirPods should introduce always-on Siri – which will give users the option of activating Siri with the words ‘Hey, Siri’ – and some kind of water resistance. The updated accessory may also feature some health-related features such as a built-in heart rate monitor. Also expected from AirPods 2 is Apple’s W2 Bluetooth connectivity chip.

    This halves power consumption with respect to the W1 chip and should result in big battery life improvements. Better overall sound quality is likely too.

    What does Apple have left for its March 25 event?

    After what could potentially be an entire week dedicated to hardware, next Monday Apple is holding the “It’s show time” press event. And, as revealed by Weinbach’s sources, there will be no hardware announcements. Instead, the company will focus entirely on its new services. The main star next week is expected to be Apple’s highly-anticipated news-aggregating subscription service.

    For a rumored price of $10 per month, consumers will gain access to a range of premium new content provided by a wide range of suppliers. Reportedly, this new service will be available to iPhone, iPad, and Mac users through the existing Apple News app.

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  • Change to AppleCare+ helps most of us using an Apple Pencil

    Change to AppleCare+ helps most of us using an Apple Pencil

    Apple used to demand that an Apple Pencil be purchased at the same time as an iPad in order to allow the accessory to qualify for AppleCare+ protection. According to MacRumors, this is no longer the case. For example, if you own an Apple iPad that is covered by AppleCare+, any first or second generation Apple Pencil you’ve purchased will be covered by the plan even if you bought the Apple Pencil separately from the tablet. So if you have AppleCare+ for iPad, you will be covered if your Apple Pencil sustains accidental damage up to two times a year. Both times, all you will have to lay out is $29 plus tax for each repair.

    And Apple Care+ will be in effect for two years from the date that the plan is purchased. If you buy an iPad, you have up to 60 days after your purchase to add AppleCare+ (the date of the Apple Pencil purchase doesn’t seem to matter). If you have to return your iPad because of accidental damage, it will cost you $49 plus tax.

    This news comes after Apple introduced a couple of iPads this morning. The new iPad Air and the new iPad mini both support the first-gen Apple Pencil only. The cost of AppleCare+ for both new tablets is $69 (more on this below), and this will include coverage for the first generation Apple Pencil regardless of whether you purchased the accessory with the tablet or not. For those who take their iPads with them wherever they go, it might make sense to have the device protected from accidental damage.

    AppleCare+ for iPad covers hardware damage to your iPad, the battery, the AirPort, included USB cable and power adapter, the battery, and the Apple Pencil. It also gives you 24/7 priority access to Apple experts through a chat or a phone call. You can mail in your repair using a prepaid mailing box provided by Apple, or bring it in to the nearest Apple Store or authorized repair center. And you will also be entitled to express replacement service.

    AppleCare+ for iPad can help protect your investment

    Apple Care+ for iPad will also provide answers to questions you might have on how to run certain aspects of iOS and iCloud, how to connect to wireless networks, and questions you might have about certain Apple branded apps such as FaceTime, Keynote, Numbers, Pages and more. The cost of AppleCare+ for 9.7-inch and 7.9-inch iPads (including the new iPad Air and iPad mini) is $69 or $3.49 a month over 24 months. For iPad Pro units, the cost is $129 or $5.99 a month over 24 months. Considering the cost of your new iPad, iPad mini or iPad Pro, it might not be such a bad idea to spend the money to protect your investment.

    And since Apple has made the change in AppleCare+ coverage for the Apple Pencil, we would be remiss if we didn’t tell you that the first generation accessory costs $99.99 while the second-generation variant is priced at $129.99. The latter is compatible with the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models that were released last year. The former is supported by the new tablets announced today along with the 9.7-inch iPad launched last year (6th generation), the first and second generation iPad Pro models, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

    Since AppleCare+ is considered part of Apple’s services unit, Apple is counting on increased revenue from these plans to help boost services revenue to $50 billion by 2020. The unit had revenue of $25 billion in 2016, and also includes ApplePay, the App Store, Apple Music, iTunes and more. It is the second largest revenue generator for Apple following the iPhone, and is the most profitable part of the company.

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  • Change in Android Q could have you using more data

    Change in Android Q could have you using more data

    The Android Developer website contains a statement that notes how “Apps running on Android Q cannot enable or disable Wi-Fi.” This was discovered by Reddit poster xxTheGoDxx. Instead, Google recommends that developers allow users of their apps to turn Wi-Fi on or off by employing the new Android Q feature that shows system settings inside an app.

    The problem with this new functionality is that it won’t let Android Q users rely on an app like Tasker to turn on Wi-Fi when a certain preset condition is met. For example, with Tasker you can arrange for your phone to enable Wi-Fi when you get home or have it turned off when you leave home. With the change coming to the next Android build, users won’t be able to arrange for their phone’s Wi-Fi setting to turn on or off automatically.

    João Dias created Tasker, and he admits that this Android Q function will negatively impact Tasker “in a big way.” Dias is hoping that because this is just the first beta preview for Android Q, Google will be persuaded by feedback and eliminate the new restriction. In addition, using text commands to enable/disable Wi-Fi will no longer work either.

    Last year, Google made a change to Android app permissions that prevented apps from accessing users’ call logs and SMS information unless the app was selected to be the default dialer or SMS client. This was done to make sure that third-party apps could not get the call log and access SMS messages from those with an Android phone.

    Tasker was able to get an exemption from Google for that change, but if the new restrictions for Wi-Fi on Android Q stand, many Tasker users will have to enable/disable Wi-Fi on their phone manually. If they forget to turn on Wi-Fi, there could be some Android users surprised to find out how much data they used during a particular billing cycle.

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  • Fitbit Versa Special Edition with NFC support flies high

    Fitbit Versa Special Edition with NFC support flies high

    While it’s certainly not unusual to see older gadgets discounted shortly after new models are released, the recently unveiled Fitbit Versa Lite Edition is not actually an upgraded version of last year’s regular Versa. As such, deals on the original model weren’t exactly guaranteed, especially given Fitbit’s newfound success in a fast-growing global wearables market, owed in part to this specific low-cost Apple Watch rival.

    All things considered therefore, it’s definitely a nice surprise to be able to buy a Special Edition of 2018’s Fitbit Versa at a markdown of around 25 percent on Amazon right now. That translates into pretty hefty savings of 60 bucks (give or take a couple) for what was already one of the most affordable feature-packed smartwatches available in the US.

    In case you’re wondering what makes this device “special”, it’s the addition of an NFC chip compared to a standard Versa edition, which enables wrist payment support. We’re not talking about Google Pay, mind you, but rather’s Fitbit proprietary service, fittingly dubbed Fitbit Pay and compatible with credit and debit cards issued by more than 100 US banks

    You can get the marked-down Versa SE with a “Charcoal Woven” or “Lavender Woven” strap, both of which look… pretty unusual for a fitness-first wearable device. Otherwise, there’s no disputing the appeal of an inexpensive smartwatch with a decent touchscreen in tow, as well as stellar 4+ day battery life, a swim-proof design, built-in optical heart rate monitor, accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter, and plenty of other tricks up its sleeve guaranteeing a top-notch activity and sleep tracking experience.

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  • Samsung Galaxy A20 goes official with solid features

    Samsung Galaxy A20 goes official with solid features

    Samsung is determined to completely overhaul its Galaxy A line, but the amount of device the South Korean company plans to launch in the remaining of the year is a bit overwhelming. We know of at least four Galaxy A phones that should be unveiled in the coming months, and three that have already been launched on the market – Galaxy A10, A30, and A50. Specs-wise, the Galaxy A20 sits between the A10 and A30 and so does in terms of price.

    What’s really amazing about this phone is that it retains some of the features that make its bigger brothers, the Galaxy A30 and A50, so appealing such as the massive, high-quality display and camera setup.

    It retains some of the “premium” features of its bigger A30 and A50 brothers

    The main selling points of the Galaxy A20 are no doubt the Super AMOLED display and the dual-camera on the back side. Of course, there are other important specs that make the Galaxy A20 an interesting budget choice for those who can’t afford a mid-range or flagship device, so let’s take an in-depth look at what the phone has to offer. First off, if you’re one of the many people who absolutely hate notch, the Galaxy A20 is not for you.

    Although it includes a minimally invasive waterdrop notch, it’s still there to bother your sense. However, if you don’t mind the compromise, the Galaxy A20 has a great 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display, which features 720 x 1560 pixels resolution. It’s the same display that Samsung included in the Galaxy A30 and A50, but you’ll be getting this one much cheaper.

    As for the other selling point of the Galaxy A20, it’s no longer unusual for mid-tier phones to include dual rear cameras, Samsung’s new handset is no exception. The dual camera consists of 13 + 5 megapixels sensors, but there’s also a secondary 8-megapixel camera in the front for selfies. Since this is a budget offering, Samsung included a less powerful chipset inside, the same packed inside the cheaper Galaxy A10. The Exynos 7884 is a new addition to Samsung’s line of chipsets and should be on par with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 450 processor in terms of performance.

    Android 9 Pie & Samsung One UI on a budget

    Even though it’s the most powerful smartphone out there, the Galaxy A20 ships with the latest Android 9 Pie operating system on board and Samsung’s One UI overlay. It’s too early to talk about Android Q since the new version of the OS hasn’t been released yet, but the Galaxy A20 has the required hardware for a software upgrade if Samsung decides to go for it. Samsung’s proprietary SoC (system-on-chip) is paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 512GB via microSD card. That’s the standard memory configuration for a mid-tier smartphone these days, but we’re surprised Samsung did not launch more than one models based on the amount of memory.

    We’re happy to see that Samsung understood how important is for customers to be able to use their phones for longer times without being forced to recharge them. The Galaxy A20 is powered by a massive 4,000 mAh battery, which should be enough for at least a few days of average use.

    Finally, we noticed a fingerprint sensor on the back side, a nice addition for a budget offering. We’re also told that Samsung Galaxy A20 comes with NFC (Near Field Communication) support, which means you’ll be able to use mobile payments services while on the go.

    Samsung Galaxy A20 price, release date, availability

    As far as the price and availability go, Samsung Galaxy A20 is only available for purchase in Russia for the moment, but we expect the smartphone to arrive in other European countries in the coming weeks.

    Price-wise, this is a cheap device for what it has to offer, as customers can buy one for around $215 outright. It’s also worth mentioning that phone prices in Russia tend to be slightly higher than the rest of Europe, and clearly higher than US prices, so a less than $200 price is definitely possible.

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