Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Tag Heuer and Nintendo announce a Super Mario smartwatch

    Tag Heuer and Nintendo announce a Super Mario smartwatch

    Seems like everybody loves Mario the plumber. The iconic game character has appeared in more than 200 game titles since its first debut back in 1981. And now the Italian pipe-hero has found its way to the smartwatch industry.

    Tag Heuer – the luxury swiss watch brand – announced today that it’s collaborating with Nintendo to make a Super Mario edition of its Connected smartwatch. It’s super limited and also super expensive at $2,150 but then again, the non-Mario version is $1,800. If you’re a Nintendo fan and also love premium swiss watches, this one’s for you.

    The Super Mario watch comes with dedicated animations and also features a unique design. It’s instantly recognizable with its black and white strap and the M logo on the strap buckle. On the bezel, you’ll find familiar elements from the original game – like Super Mushroom, Pipe, Super Star, and Goal Pole. The interface is also cute and game-like – as you progress toward your fitness goals, Mario will reward you with different animations – from tipping his hat to getting on that victory pole. As far as features are concerned, it’s a WearOS device, so you got Google Assistant on board, along with other Google products like Google Pay, Calendar, Translate, Music, etc.

    Google Fit is taking care of your wellbeing, but the watch also has Tag Heuer’s own Sport, Golf, and Wellness apps. The Super Mario watch comes in a 45mm variant and weighs 86 grams (0.18 pounds). It’s water-resistant up to 5ATM, and Tag Heuer promises its 430mAh battery can last a full day.

    If you decide to pull the trigger on this one, you have to act quick – Tag Heuer is making only 2,000 of these and you can register for one right now. The official debut is just two days away – it’s July 15. Oh, and by the way, there’s also a cute Mario-themed box that goes with the watch.

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  • Apple reportedly insists on having car batteries made in the US for the Apple Car

    Apple reportedly insists on having car batteries made in the US for the Apple Car

    There have been some rumors and talks about the Apple Car, from its price to Tim Cook hinting at it. Now, a report from DigiTimes industry insiders states that Apple may be producing batteries for the Apple Car in the US instead of using China-based manufacturers.The report states that Apple wants the batteries for the autonomous car to be manufactured in the States, and partnerships with China’s two largest battery suppliers, CATL and BYD, seem unlikely.

    Instead, Apple may work with Taiwan-based Foxconn or Advanced Lithium Electrochemistry, both companies planning to set up factories in the US, claim DigiTimes sources. Many of you may know that the majority of Apple’s products are assembled in China. Many components for Apple products are sourced from suppliers all around the world.

    Earlier, Tim Cook stated that many things can be done with autonomous vehicles, and he slightly hinted Apple may, indeed, be working on one – “we’ll see what Apple does”. However, Apple is experimenting in a lot of different product areas, and some of these projects never see the light of production, so keep that in mind.

    Nevertheless, the Apple Car is likely years away from being announced or introduced to the public.

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  • Vietcombank H1 profit surges 35 pct

    Vietcombank H1 profit surges 35 pct

    State-owned lender Vietcombank reported a VND14.8 trillion (nearly $643.5 million) profit in the first half of the year, up more than 35 percent year-on-year.

    A senior Vietcombank official who did not want to be named said Monday that the rise in profit can be attributed to a 60 percent year-on-year increase in non-interest income, mainly from services.

    In the first half of the year, the bank made bancassurance revenues of some VND500 billion.

    In its first-half review meeting held late last week, Vietcombank said that as of late June, its outstanding loans rose over 9.8 percent against late 2020 to VND920 trillion.

    The credit growth of more than 9.8 percent approaches the ceiling rate of 10.5 percent set by the State Bank of Vietnam for the whole year, so Vietcombank has proposed that the central bank increases it to 14 percent.

    Its bad debt ratio increased from 0.6 percent early this year to 0.91 percent by the end of the second quarter, due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

    The Vietcombank official said profit growth in 2021 is projected to be lower than the first half surge as credit growth has approached the ceiling rate, and the bank plans to continue to lower lending interest rates in the second half. Its bad debts are likely to increase further because of the pandemic.

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  • Thai energy firm BCPG signs Laos wind power sale with Vietnam

    Thai energy firm BCPG signs Laos wind power sale with Vietnam

    Thai renewable energy firm BCPG Pcl on Tuesday said that its consortium had signed a 25-year agreement to deliver wind energy from a 600-megawatt project in Laos to Vietnam.

    An agreement between Vietnam’s electricity firm EVN and Impact Energy Asia Development (IEAD), of which BCPG holds a 45 percent stake, will supply electricity through a 500-kilovolt transmission line from Laos to Quang Nam province in Vietnam.

    Impact Wind Investment, backed by Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation, holds a 55 percent stake in IEAD.

    Construction on the Monsoon Wind Project will commence in 2022 with commercial operations targeted for 2025. It would be the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ largest wind farm, BCPG said in a statement.

  • Malaysia Targets KPMG Partners for 1MDB Damages

    Malaysia Targets KPMG Partners for 1MDB Damages

    The Malaysian government is seeking billions of dollars in damages from KPMG partners as part of an ongoing pursuit to recover 1MDB-linked funds.

    Malaysia is seeking over $5.6 billion from 44 current and former KPMG partners over alleged breaches and negligence relating to the 1MDB scandal, according to a  report citing court documents.

    This is equivalent to the sum that was allegedly siphoned from 1MDB between 2009 and 2014 which the plaintiffs argue could have been flagged earlier if KPMG had conducted a proper audit.

    The plaintiffs alleged that about $3.2 billion were misappropriated from 1MDB and its subsidiaries while KPMG served as an auditor which is part of the broader $5.64 billion lost in total.

    They seek the full amount misappropriated including interest accrued and additional costs.

    KPMG was 1MDB’s auditor until 2013 when it refused to sign off on 1MDB’s accounts and was replaced by Deloitte which subsequently paid an $80 million settlement to the Malaysian government.

    KPMG denied the allegations leveled against the firm over its audit of 1MDB’s financial statement from 2010 to 2012.

    All allegations as reported in the news are refuted and the claim will be vigorously contested, KPMG said, adding that it was disappointed with the lawsuit.

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  • Aldi launches Corner Store in convenience push

    Aldi launches Corner Store in convenience push

    Aldi Australia is planning to convert a supermarket in a densely populated urban area into a trendy small-format ‘corner store’.

    The budget grocery chain has submitted a development application to North Sydney Council about its proposal for transforming its existing North Sydney outlet into a brand new concept store in a major shake-up to the supermarket industry.

    The smaller format store will appear different to what shoppers usually expect from a standard Aldi supermarket, with plans to offer an urban-style outlet featuring a new layout, a ‘hole in the wall’ cafe, new signage and street art.

    Aldi Australia is planning to convert a supermarket in a densely populated urban area into a small format ‘corner store’

    ‘We know that Australians are looking for new and convenient shopping experiences, especially in densely populated areas, so we are exploring a smaller format store in North Sydney under a new store concept name: ALDI Corner Store,’ an Aldi spokeswoman said.

    ‘The development application in North Sydney has yet to be approved, so we will have more to share on this proposal at a later date.

    ‘But we can confirm the proposed small format update will offer a new store layout and more convenience-driven experiences to North Sydney shoppers.’

    The budget grocery chain has submitted a development application to North Sydney Council about its proposal for transforming its existing North Sydney outlet into a brand new concept store in a major shake-up to the supermarket industry

    If the proposal goes ahead, Aldi’s new corner store could rival major supermarkets Woolworths Metro and Coles Local, which are smaller formats mostly located in urban areas.

    The new plans come nearly a year after Aldi opened a new supermarket store in Lane Cove on the lower north shore of Sydney – complete with state-of-the-art features and unique Special Buys products.

    The modern format store features ‘better’ product displays, improved navigation, a modern interior design, redesigned shelving, expanded wooden produce bays, as well as extended energy-efficient chillers.

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  • HelloFresh to pick up beleaguered Youfoodz

    HelloFresh to pick up beleaguered Youfoodz

    YouFoodz is set to exit the ASX less than a year after listing after accepting a $0.93 per share takeover bid from HelloFresh – a 109 percent premium on the past month’s average trading.

    The bid values YouFoodz at approximately $125.3 million and will push HelloFresh into the pre-made meals market – a segment of the food delivery pie it hadn’t yet picked up.

    “The transaction combines YouFoodz’ strength in developing and manufacturing delicious ready-made meals with HelloFresh’s expertise in supply chain management, technology and direct-to-consumer marketing,” YouFoodz said in its statement to shareholders.

    “Both companies are unified in their purpose to provide Australians with delicious, high quality and affordable fresh meals.”

    YouFoodz’ board unanimously recommends its shareholders back the scheme, which will be voted on in October following an independent expert review.

    The ready-made meals brand launched its IPO last October at $1.50 a share, where it raised $70 million to list, and landed at a market capitalization of just over $200 million.

    However, the business struggled to hit the financial benchmarks it set itself, with EBITDA and revenue landing below expectations earlier this year.

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  • What future holds for online gambling?

    What future holds for online gambling?

    Innovation is by all accounts the best thing in progression in the previous decade. Cell phones, the internet, and things like that have come up in the past few decades, and individuals made use of them for their advantages and turned into a piece of this change. The online gambling business is an industry whose future advancement is incomprehensible without the utilization of the most recent pattern in innovation. Innovation contacts pretty much all aspects of our lives nowadays and online gambling and gaming are the same. While land based casinos will always be there, online gambling is intended to target young people who get most of their entertainment by utilizing their cell phones. The online gambling business is shockingly flourishing in spite of the pandemic. At the point when the pandemic began, the online gambling area fairly exploded. Below are some of the things that can change in the future and impact the way we see online gambling.

    Virtual reality

    Connection with augmented reality will permit the future to grow without limitations. Online gambling as of now has the element of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), yet it will take some efforts to make their space in the realm of wagering. It will take a long time for them with the stage to turn out to be considerably more intuitive and vivid for the gamer. It gives the gamer the ideal experience. Clients might actually be transported into the floor of the world’s most well known club. The opportunities for considering the involvement of augmented reality in online gambling are genuinely stunning.

    Online gambling may soon be legalized everywhere

    With the casinos, there are specific arrangements of rules per country. Set up casinos are legitimate in numerous nations and taking a look at the consideration that online gambling is getting, numerous nations may legitimize online gambling in the within five years. There are negligible guidelines with subsidiary advertisers, and the pressure is all on the online gambling casino’s shoulders. Maybe, there would be legitimate guidelines with those engaged with the promoting or the activity of gambling. Online casinos bring in a great deal of cash and will continue making something similar or better later on. However a few nations are against betting, and they are firm not to authorize it at any rate. However, if it brings profit, each nation will without a doubt consider legitimizing online gambling.

    Growth in mobile gambling

    For online casinos, mechanical headways will permit them to truly improve the way that they offer their types of assistance to their users. As online gambling focuses on a more youthful market, it must be through smartphones. Truth be told, just those organizations that stay current on smartphone application innovation will remain suitable since a greater part of online action has moved from PC to cell phone use. Innovation has likewise made the online gambling experience over and above anyone’s expectations. It is likewise beneficial to execute online gambling these days as individuals are more able to partake in online exercises like shopping and betting. With the tremendous growth of smartphone clients, people get more friendly freedoms to practice online gambling. The modern devices help to save time and are more advantageous for playing.

    Cryptocurrency

    Online gambling is one of the quickest developing business sectors out there yet it’s anything but without impediments. Crypto betting is present with the mission to give crypto users a simple method of playing with their Bitcoins. Crypto exchanges make casinos innately solid. Block chain is one of the most recent essential innovations, without which the advancement of the gambling industry is unthinkable. It permits you to accelerate and improve on cash exchanges that are completed every day. The gambling clubs are accepting crypto currencies; there are numerous online casinos that are at long last taking digital currencies. By making these exchanges, no data is saved on the site. In different organizations, it has been demonstrated that the crypto-based wagering framework is safer and straightforward. The advantages of crypto currency mean that it has a bright future when it comes to online gambling.

    With the growing headways in innovation and the expanding ubiquity of digital money, there isn’t any idea where web based betting can go. Not exclusively would they be able to make new games where individuals can wager, yet they can likewise rethink exemplary casino games to make them more fun and available for the overall population. You may observe another sort of betting on online casinos that will be preferable and much more energizing over in-land clubs. Online gambling casinos have for some time been pioneers of innovation for their structure, security and enhancement of games. Online gambling is a strong industry, with constant improvement capacity, developing consumer loyalty, and a drive to satisfy the need in undiscovered spaces of the world, the fate of betting will be prosperous.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • Cos launches its first Philippine store

    Cos launches its first Philippine store

    London-based fashion favorite COS opened its first Philippine store on Friday, June 25, at SM Aura Premier in Taguig City.

    The store, located close to the main entrance of the Bonifacio Global City mall, houses both womenswear and menswear and features the brand’s Spring-Summer 2021 collection.

    At its core, COS cares about sustainability. Its collections are dominated by wardrobe essentials that are designed to last beyond a season.

    Part of its commitments includes shifting to 100% sustainably sourced or recycled materials in its pieces and even its packaging. As of 2021, nearly 86% of its collection are sustainably sourced, according to the brand.

    Most clothing pieces start at P2,000, with accessories costing upwards of P2,000 as well. The store also has in-house consultants to help you shop and plan your outfits.

    COS is located on the first floor of SM Aura Premiere in Taguig City. Customers must follow COVID-19 safety protocols, including the wearing of masks and face shields, as well as social distancing.

  • Linfox launches electric-truck deliveries with beer the first cargo

    Linfox launches electric-truck deliveries with beer the first cargo

    Linfox has added its first all-electric truck to its fleet and partnered with VB to deliver beer to retailers around Melbourne.

    The Volvo truck will deliver beer in the same way as a regular diesel truck but in a sustainable way: transporting 100,000+ cans and stubbies each week from Asahi Beverages’ distribution centre in Melbourne’s west to bottle shops across the city.

    Linfox says it plans to introduce “many” electric vehicles as production ramps up worldwide, but for now the Volvo VB-branded truck is the first mass-produced electric truck of its size – and the first Volvo FL all-electric truck – in Australia.

    The sustainability impact extends further than not just burning diesel during deliveries: the battery is recharged using 100-per-cent offset solar power generated from Asahi Beverages’ solar farm near Mildura in northern Victoria. VB has been brewed with 100-per-cent offset solar electricity since last year – now it is being transported the same way.

    “Transitioning our deliveries to electric vehicles will help us achieve our ambitious sustainability goals of reducing our net carbon emissions across our entire supply chain by 30 per cent by 2030 and to zero by 2050,” said Robert Iervasi, group CEO at Asahi Beverages, which bought VB’s maker Carlton & United Breweries last year.

    “Linfox has delivered VB for more than 50 years. It’s fitting these two Australian icons are taking this major step towards a sustainable future together.”

    The Volvo has a range of 250km between charges, limiting its use to greater Melbourne, but introducing more electric-powered trucks to the streets will ease pollution in the city – and help reduce the carbon impact of both Asahi Beverages and Linfox.

    “Australia’s domestic freight task has doubled in the past decade and will continue to grow,” said Linfox chairman Peter Fox. “To meet this demand, Australia’s road fleet will also grow and it is essential the fleet does this safely, efficiently and with reduced environmental impact.”

  • AirPods Max hit a new all-time low price

    AirPods Max hit a new all-time low price

    The AirPods Max are Apple’s most expensive headphones, but if you’re a fan of the brand, you’re probably going to get them anyway. Luckily, Amazon is making the experience of purchasing a pair of AirPods Max headphones more gentle for your wallet by offering a nearly 15% discount.

    The only catch is that you’ll have to specifically choose the Space Gray model to save a bit more than $70. The other four color options – Green, Pink, Silver, and Sky Blue are on sale as well, but the discount is slightly smaller.

    A $70+ discount on a pair of headphones that costs $550 might not seem too much, but this is the best AirPods Max deal we’ve been able to track to date. Not to mention that Apple’s products rarely get massive discounts, especially so close after launch.

    In any case, if you’ve been eyeing Apple’s expensive AirPods Max, now would be a good time to make your purchase. Just keep in mind that prices at Amazon change all the time, so you might not get the highest discount we’ve spotted at the time of writing.

  • Jawa Motorcycles Launches Midnight Grey And Khakhee Colours

    Jawa Motorcycles Launches Midnight Grey And Khakhee Colours

    Jawa Motorcycles has launched two new colors to commemorate India’s victory in the 1971 war against Pakistan as part of the Swarnim Vijay Varsh. The Jawa will now be available in two special colors – Khakhkee and Midnight Grey – that are inspired by the armed forces. The Jawa Special Edition is priced at ₹ 1.93 lakh (ex-showroom), which makes it about ₹ 15,000 more expensive than the Forty Two and ₹ 6000 more expensive than the Jawa. Customers can book the special edition motorcycle online on the company’s website.

    The new color options come with a host of subtle upgrades that make the model special. All the chrome bits have been finished in matte black including the headlamp bezel, suspensions forks, engine, and dual exhaust mufflers. Both colors are matte in finish and do look fantastic on the motorcycle. Making the model special though is the tri-color on the fuel tank along with the Indian Army emblem. It also gets an insignia that reads ‘Commemorating 50 years of the 1971 war victory,’ followed by ‘1971-2021 Special Edition.’

    Mechanically, the Jawa remains the same borrowing power from the 293 cc single-cylinder engine tuned for 26.9 bhp and 27.02 Nm of peak torque. The motor is paired with a 5-speed gearbox. Other mechanical bits also remain the same including the telescopic front forks, dual shocks at the rear, 280 mm disc brake at the front, and a 240 mm disc brake at the rear. The special edition motorcycle is only offered with dual-channel ABS. The bike rides on 18-inch front and 17-inch rear tires.

    2021 marks the 50th year of the war and the new colors are an ode to the Indian Armed Forces. The 1971 Indo-Pakistan war was fought on both the eastern and western fronts and lasted 13 days, which makes it one of the shortest wars in history. It led to the independence of Bangladesh, then known as East Pakistan, after Pakistan’s surrender. The war saw over 3000 Indian army personnel lose their lives while over 10,000 were injured.

  • WhatsApp developing a way for users to send hi-res videos without attaching them as documents

    WhatsApp developing a way for users to send hi-res videos without attaching them as documents

    WhatsApp is developing an improvement to the options that users have when they send videos from the app. Unless they send a video through WhatsApp as a document, their clips will be automatically compressed on its way to recipients which negatively impacts its quality. At the beginning of this month, WABetaInfo discovered that WhatsApp is working on a way for Android users to customize the quality of their video uploads on WhatsApp and send hi-res video to others.

    The options being developed for WhatsApp beta users include “Auto,” “Best quality,” and “Data saver.” The “Auto” setting is the one recommended and continues using compression to send videos through a slower data network. “Best quality” will allow a WhatsApp user to share a higher resolution version of a video without having to send it as an attached document. Instead, with this setting, a high-res video can be sent through the app’s gallery (perhaps taking a little bit longer to disseminate because it is a larger file size) without a huge loss in quality.

    “Data Saver” will send a video without you worrying that you are about to run through your data cap. Of course, saving data while sending video means that the quality of the clip is going to be lower. And today, WABetaInfo found that in beta version 2.21.14.16, WhatsApp users get the ability to not only improve the quality of video that they are sending, but also improve the resolution of photos being uploaded.

    The three options for still photos are the same as the three offered for video: Auto (Recommended), Best quality, and Data saver. WhatsApp reminds users that “Best quality photos are larger and can take longer to send.” These options will be found in the “Media upload quality” section in “Storage and data” although this cannot be found yet on the current version of WhatsApp available from the Google Play Store.

    WhatsApp users are hoping that this update will be arriving very soon.

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  • Users in the States will now be able to pay in stores with a Google Pay virtual card

    Users in the States will now be able to pay in stores with a Google Pay virtual card

    A new and welcome change to Google Pay users in the US is now coming: you will be able to use your Google Pay balance to pay in stores. The new feature is currently only available in the States, but it should be available to all Google Pay users soon.

    Starting this week, users in the States will be able to pay using their Google Pay balance via NFC. The app will offer a virtual card that you can use in-store. Of course, this feature will only work on phones that support NFC and in stores that have NFC as a payment option.

    This new feature will allow users to pay with money that they earned from rewards or were sent to them via family and friends in Google Pay. Before this change, you could use the app to send money, buy products or services online or in the Play Store, or transfer money out to your bank account.

    However, you could not use Google Pay to pay in physical stores. And on top of that, when you transferred the money to your bank account, you couldn’t pay with it right at the moment as most banks need 1-3 days for the transferred funds to process.

    Starting this week, if you live in the States, you can get the Google Pay balance card that you can request from the app itself. Google has not given a precise rollout date to users outside of the States, but the company has stated that the feature will be coming to “all Android users” soon.

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  • Apple might add a way to measure temperature with your iPhone

    Apple might add a way to measure temperature with your iPhone

    We all know how serious Apple is about the impact its devices have on our health. They’ve been consistently providing more ways for us to track our heart rate, sleep, stress, and other vital stats. Most of the technology enabling this, like the blood oxygen sensor, Apple offers only on the Apple Watch.

    Yes, you do get a very detailed health tracker on iPhone, but that’s all software. Now, we might be getting hints at possible future hardware that could improve the phone’s health tracking capabilities even more.

    A patent application titled “Camera attachment and image data processing for temperature measurement” has been revealed. It shows that the American tech giant has been investing in camera technology that would be capable of analyzing an iPhone image to determine the temperature of a subject.

    The application states that “given the ubiquitous nature of smartphones, the attachment can be used to convert a smartphone into a temperature measurement device to provide readily accessible temperature measurements. In some embodiments, the attachment is a passive one (without electronics or need for a power supply) and may thereby reduce manufacturing costs and increase availability.”

    It looks like this innovative technology won’t be an integrated part of the iPhone itself but an attachment that can be added only when it is needed. “For example, in some embodiments, a camera attachment is provided that includes a frame configured to couple with a camera,” the patent mentions.

    The frame is explained to be the part that will be carrying all the tech required to determine said temperature. The text goes on to say that “the camera attachment includes a temperature reactive material (TRM) that is coupled with the frame. The frame is configured to position the TRM within the field of view of the camera such that images captured by the camera include at least a portion of the TRM.”

    The Apple Watch has been used by medical professionals and has aided them in their work and their ability to track their patient’s health. Similarly, this temperature measuring attachment that the company is looking into sounds like something that could make that whole process even easier.

    Let’s not also pretend we don’t notice the connection with the COVID-19 pandemic and the distance rules it’s imposed on society. Many places, from stores to country borders, use devices that can measure temperature from a distance, and Apple’s patent application highly resembles them.

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