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Category: General

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest General Retail news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • AirAsia clarifies high fares

    AirAsia clarifies high fares

    AirAsia has denied that its airfares between the Peninsula and Sarawak are high as well as its unavailability for the Christmas and state election period.

    The low-cost airline operator said it has engaged continuously with the Ministry of Transport Sarawak (MoTS) and submitted applications to permanently increase its scheduled flight frequencies from Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah into Sarawak on several occasions since early this year, including the latest request submitted last week which included the operation of extra flights for the upcoming holiday season, Christmas and Chinese New Year.

    The airline said it received confirmation from MoTS and the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) today for an additional 42 weekly flights from Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah into the state for a limited period from Dec 4 to Jan 5, 2022.

    This has brought the fares down from around RM1,000 one way to below RM200 for a Kuala Lumpur to Kuching flight and these were very quickly snapped up, it said.

    “AirAsia wishes to clarify its position with regards to the views and concerns expressed on social media that the airline is charging high fares for flights between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak for the upcoming Christmas and holiday season that coincides with the state election scheduled for Dec 18”, it said in a statement.

    Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia Malaysia Riad Asmat said as a low-cost carrier, the airline is in a volume business to pass on the lowest fares to its guests.

    “AirAsia’s operation is all about economies of scale where we need to achieve a high passenger volume so that costs can be spread among a sizable number of passengers, allowing us to offer travelers low fares and giving them great value for money.

    “Historically, our average fare for flights between Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia has been around RM160 per one-way passenger. This takes into account the highest fares and the lowest, including when we offer zero fare promotional sales,” he said.

    Riad said AirAsia’s pricing model is similar to other airlines around the world and is based on supply and demand.

    “In abiding with the limited flight frequencies imposed by the SDMC resulting in a reduced supply of flight seats, AirAsia’s demand-based dynamic pricing mechanism has inevitably derived prices seen as unfavorable to buyers at this time. It must be remembered that this is also the same mechanism that we used to offer guests promotional fares from as low as RM99 one way earlier in October,” he said.

    He added that as a general rule, fares will be higher, closer to the travel date, and during peak holiday periods when their flights are already near full.

    “Buyers have already taken up to 90 percent of our capacity on most flights. The limitation on the number of flights available in the market is a key factor that has pushed the prices higher across all airlines”.

    Riad said for the record, AirAsia used to fly over 300 weekly flights into Sarawak pre-Covid, connecting Kuching, Sibu, Miri, and Bintulu to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru, Kota Kinabalu, and various other destinations in Malaysia.

    “Just for Kuala Lumpur – Kuching alone, we used to fly between 12 and 15 flights daily on this hugely popular route before Covid, but with the latest approval today, AirAsia will be flying 5 daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kuching which is a 67 per cent reduction in our capacity due to the restrictions by SDMC.

    “We comprehend that demand is there but at the moment we are unable to meet it until more flight approvals are given,” he said.

    Riad also expressed AirAsia’s sincere appreciation to SDMC and MoTS for the additional flight approval for the Christmas holiday season.

    “However, we would like to appeal to MOTS and SDMC to also approve our request for extra Chinese New Year flights, and to remove frequency restrictions on all the approved flights entirely to enable us to better manage cost efficiency and lower the fares for passengers.”

    AirAsia, Riad said has always pledged its full commitment and support towards the full reopening and resumption of travel and tourism activities in Sarawak.

    They were also looking forward to keep working closely with all relevant regulators, the federal and state governments, civil aviation and health authorities, and tourism bodies to ensure the highest conformity to standard operating procedures for every flight.

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  • AirAsia ramps up flight frequencies

    AirAsia ramps up flight frequencies

    AirAsia Philippines continues to increase flight frequencies to domestic destinations to support the surge of air travel demand during the Christmas season.

    The low-cost carrier said it has restored 30 percent of its pre-pandemic capacity, doubling and tripling its frequencies for most of its domestic destinations.

    The airline has also resumed its flights to Hongkong and Singapore to service overseas Filipino workers and business travelers.

    “We are banking on revenge travel for a very strong 2022 recovery,” AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan said.

    Dailisan said people now have the confidence to plan for their future trips as reflected in the forward bookings from 31 to 120 days.

    “This booking behavior can be significantly attributed to the continuing downtrend of daily COVID-19 infections and the ongoing progress of the government’s nationwide vaccination program,” he said.

    “While travel restrictions have been significantly eased and simplified, we call on our guests to never allow themselves to be complacent. Strict adherence to health and safety protocols must be observed on the ground and in flight,” Dailisan said.

    AirAsia said travelers can currently avail of the airline’s P20 base fare if they book up to Dec. 20 from Manila to Cebu, Puerto Princesa, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Kalibo, General Santos, Zamboanga and Bacolod. Travel period is up to Sep. 30 next year.

    “AirAsia has been synonymous with great value through the democratization of air travel with low fares and great service. We are sharing this milestone with our guests who have been very loyal to AirAsia and are now part of the growing Super App ecosystem,” Dailisan said.

    AirAsia Philippines said 100 percent of its flying crew and 99.34 percent of the whole workforce have been fully vaccinated against COVID.

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  • Don Don Donki opens largest Southeast Asian store yet

    Don Don Donki opens largest Southeast Asian store yet

    JONETZ By Don Don Donki just opened its second outlet in Malaysia today, 10 December, and it’s the biggest one yet — in fact, it’s the biggest store in ASEAN

    Spread across two levels in Tropicana Gardens Mall, the outlet features new sections, such as CosmeDONKI, a yatai food court, and a fully certified halal area.

    CosmeDONKI is a Japanese cosmetic shop that sells Japan’s bestsellers of high-quality health and beauty products, while yatai is a food kiosk section, where shoppers can enjoy Japanese street food.

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  • YouTube TV arrives on Xfinity Flex

    YouTube TV arrives on Xfinity Flex

    Comcast’s Internet customers will be happy to know that YouTube TV is now available on the Xfinity Flex. Starting today, new and existing YouTube TV customers can access the service on Flex by saying “YouTube TV” into the Xfinity Voice Remote or by clicking on the new YouTube TV app.

    With YouTube TV, Xfinity Flex users will have access to more than 85 channels including major broadcast and popular cable networks along with local and national live sports, breaking news, major shows the moment they air, and, more importantly, unlimited cloud DVR.

    YouTube TV is one of the many other streaming services available on Flex. And for those who don’t know, YouTube TV is also available on XClass TV, Comcast’s new smart TV that was previously exclusive to Xfinity customers.

    The Flex is Xfinity’s 4K streaming TV box that comes free with Xfinity Internet. It supports hundreds of streaming services, including HBO Max, Disney+, Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, Tubi, Peacock, Prime Video, Showtime, Starz, Pandora, and many more.

  • Vietravel loss triples in year’s first half

    Vietravel loss triples in year’s first half

    Leading tourism company Vietravel, which has only now published its first-half earnings report, saw losses triple year-on-year to VND293.3 billion ($12.75 million) due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

    Revenues were down by nearly half to VND545 billion while costs rose 42 percent to VND65.6 billion.

    Its carrier, Vietravel Airlines, recently resumed operations after being grounded for three months, and plans its first flight on Dec. 19.

    Vietravel’s stock is limited to trading on Fridays due to its delay in publishing its results.

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  • Latest electronic news

    Latest electronic news

    Smartwatches and fitness trackers, for example, are difficult to deconstruct and recycle. As a result, when a new model is released, most consumers dispose of their old devices in hazardous waste streams. Unfortunately, this goes for many of the electronic sectors. Whether it’s a new iron or the latest online game, it’s all becoming a problem. Researchers have developed a two-metal nanocomposite for circuits that disintegrates when submerged in water, according to a study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. The circuits were presented in a prototype transitory device, which was a working smartwatch that disintegrated in 40 hours.

    Due to planned obsolescence and the rapid pace of technological advancements, new devices are constantly replacing older models, resulting in millions of tons of electronic waste generated each year. Recycling can help minimize the amount of e-waste produced and is required in many countries. On the other hand, small consumer electronics are generally not worth the effort to recycle because their pieces must be rescued by hand. However, some processing stages, such as open burning and acid leaching, can create health problems and pollution.

    Both of these issues could be solved by dissolvable gadgets that disintegrate on demand. Xian Huang and colleagues had previously developed a zinc-based nanocomposite that dissolved in water and could be used in temporary circuits. Still, it wasn’t conducive enough for consumer devices. As a result, they intended to improve the electrical properties of their dissolvable nanocomposite while also designing circuits that could withstand regular use.

    The researchers added silver nanowires to the zinc-based nanocomposite to solve this problem, which made it highly conductive. The circuits were then hardened through chemical processes driven by water droplets after being screen-printed onto a degradable polymer called polyvinyl alcohol.

    The watch’s components, such as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen and microcontroller, as well as resistors and capacitors embedded into the circuits, were all that remained. According to the researchers, the two-metal nanocomposite may be used to make transitory devices with performance comparable to commercial ones, which could go a long way toward addressing the problem of small electronics waste.

    E-Waste Problem

    Only a portion of the problem is e-waste from discarded electrical and electronic equipment. Toxins released during mining and manufacturing are a substantial contribution to e-waste. Rare earth elements are currently essential components in high-tech electronics, yet their extraction is hazardous. Household appliances such as irons, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and refrigerators are by far the major contributors to the amount of e-waste produced.

    However, as connectivity becomes integrated into daily products, the quickly developing “Internet of things” – internet-connected electronics – is predicted to generate more e-waste. E-waste handling is governed by rules. When selling a new version of the same product, sellers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) in the European Union must provide a mechanism for customers to dispose of their old household gadgets.

    Several well-known electronics businesses have been chastised for lack of spare parts or updates, as well as suspected built-in obsolescence. Apple revealed in 2017 that it had purposefully slowed down some iPhone models as they grew older. Customers felt this was to entice them to upgrade, but Apple claimed it was to extend the life of their devices. Daisy, the company’s robot, was released in 2018 and is designed to disassemble iPhones to recover and recycle minerals. Owners of Sonos speakers chastised the company in November 2019 for no longer providing software upgrades for some of its older devices. 

    What can we do?

    If you’re like most people, you’re probably stumped as to what to do with that drawer full of obsolete equipment. We all produce more electronic garbage than we can handle, which has been a big issue for the past decade. We should strive to limit the quantity of e-waste that ends up in landfills. With the advancement of technology, e-waste disposal will become a more critical issue. Because most consumer electronics, such as phones, computers, and televisions, contain hazardous chemicals and toxic elements like lead, mercury, and other heavy metals, when they are disposed of in local landfills, they endanger our soil, air, and waterways.

    Donate or sell – Selling your working devices is a simple approach to manage e-waste efficiently. You might be able to locate a buyer on eBay or Craigslist. Many of these purchasers will use, resell, or use/sell the components. Otherwise, recycling and comparison websites will give you a price for your old electronics and allow you to ship them off to be successfully repurposed or recycled.

    Think before you buy

    REDUCE is the most crucial of the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle). It’s so simple to get a new laptop, a smart TV, or the latest mobile phone. Most people don’t even consider whether they require them. Before purchasing anything, consider whether you genuinely need it. Why not upgrade the software instead of buying a new device if your old one is still in good working order? Instead of purchasing a new laptop, you can repair your existing one. Being a wise consumer will help you manage your household’s e-waste more effectively. 

    Online Data Storage

    Why utilise a memory stick or device when you can readily save significant amounts of data over the Internet? There are various cloud storage options available online, including Dropbox and Google Drive (free). In addition, some paid services provide a free 30-day trial period so you can see what works best for you.

     

     

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  • Major new features coming to Meta’s Portal smart display

    Major new features coming to Meta’s Portal smart display

    The Portal smart display has been updated quite a few times with new features. After rebranding itself from Facebook to Meta, the social network has decided to turn its attention to the device once again.

    Earlier today, Meta announced that it has added new ways for Portal owners to use Facebook Assistant on the device. A new ability to let the Portal capture a moment during a Messenger call is now available for users, and the best thing is that it can be used hands-free by saying “Hey Portal, take a photo.”

    The update also adds the Alexa touch interface, which allows users to manage smart home devices, routines, alarms, music, smart doorbells and more by touch or directly from the Alexa app.

    As mentioned earlier, Meta is now rolling out new ways for users to stay connected with their Facebook friends on Portal, hands-free. Facebook Assistant can pull up a friend’s profile or recent posts. Portal owners can now say “Hey Portal, show me Stories” or ask about recent posts, responses and photos.

    Meta is adding group AR Effects that let people on a Messenger call to experience the same effects at the same time. Additionally, three new augmented reality games will be available for Portal owners via Facebook Assistant: Quizbee, Sequencer, and Port-a-Pet.

    Furthermore, Meta announced that starting today support for Microsoft Teams will be available on Portal, Portal+ and Portal Go. Finally, later this month, ESPN will expand from Portal TV to include Portal, Portal+ and Portal Go in the United States.

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  • Nestle trims L’Oreal stake with $10 billion sale

    Nestle trims L’Oreal stake with $10 billion sale

    Nestle SA said on Tuesday it would cut its stake in L’Oreal to about 20% by selling shares worth 8.9 billion euros ($10 billion) back to the French cosmetics brand, moving to reduce the weight of the beauty giant on its books for the first time in 7 years.

    The Nescafe maker’s holding in the beauty giant has been subject of intense scrutiny over the years, and the Swiss company has maintained its interest was both financial and strategic, even when activist investor Third Point urged disposal in mid 2017. Since then, L’Oreal shares have more than doubled.

    Seeking to reduce the weight of its L’Oreal holding while maintaining a level above 20%, allowing it to consolidate the investment on accounts, Nestle approached L’Oreal two months ago, kicking off a flurry of negotiations that involved chairmen of both companies, according to a source with knowledge of negotiations.

    Following the deal, Nestle said it would own 20.1% of L’Oreal, down from 23.3% previously. L’Oreal, meanwhile, would buy back shares representing 4% of its capital and cancel them at the latest on Aug. 29.

    L’Oreal, which is paying 400 euros per share, said the deal will have an accretive effect on the company’s earnings per share of more than 4% in a full year. The beauty company is paying with cash and debt.

    As a result of the transaction, which is expected to close in the coming days, the Bettencourt Meyers family, will see their stake rise to 34.7% from 33.3%, but will not be required to launch a takeover offer, as normally required for passing ownership thresholds above one-third of the capital.

    L’Oréal stock ended Tuesday up 3.96% at 424.8 euros while Nestle gained 0.1% to 121.9 Swiss francs.

    The packaged foods maker also said its board had decided to buy back 20 billion Swiss francs ($21.6 billion) worth of its shares between 2022 and 2024, adding that it would adjust this program should it make sizable acquisitions.

    Nestle said it would terminate its current share repurchase plan by the end of the year, having bought back shares for 12.7 billion Swiss francs or almost two-thirds of the program volume.

    L’Oreal around four years ago underscored https://reut.rs/3GqHqcP its readiness to buy Nestle’s 23% stake if the Swiss shareholder was to sell it.

    Nestle in October 2019 closed the sale of its skin health business for 10.2 billion Swiss francs, as the group moved to ditch underperforming businesses.

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  • This popular family safety app will sell your location data to anyone who has the money

    This popular family safety app will sell your location data to anyone who has the money

    Data sold by Life360, an app that helps people share their location with family members, is being sold by data dealers to whoever is willing to pay for it. At the center of the report are two former employees of Life360 and two people who in the past have worked for two of its customers – Cuebiq and X-Mode.

    The app has a user base of 33 million customers and is typically used by parents to keep an eye on their kids. Life360’s privacy policy clearly states that it sells data that it collects from app users in a de-identified form. The employees questioned by The Markup have revealed that the company doesn’t take the steps needed to ensure the information is not traced back to people. Some of the customers are sold raw location data and the company says it trusts its customers to obfuscate that information.

    Apparently, Life360 is the go-to source for location data for most entities, a claim that founder and CEO Chris Hulls neither confirms nor denies. He says that data is an important part of the company and allows them to keep core services free, including features that have “improved driver safety and saved numerous lives.” Last year, location data sales made up 20 percent of the revenue.

    The data is seemingly being used by hedge funds or firms that do targeted advertising and by government organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Defense.

    X-Mode has been found in the past to sell location data from Muslim prayers apps to U.S. government contractors. Cuebiq sold location data to news organizations like The New York Times and NBC News during the beginning of the pandemic as they were eager to learn about the new movement patterns of the public during the early lockdown period.

    Life360, which began selling data in 2016, instituted a policy barring the sale of data for law enforcement purposes in 2020 and this also applies to customers who get data from it. Whether they are complying with this is not known.

    Although Life360 made a loss of $16.3 million in 2020, it is expanding its business to include products for data breach alerts, credit monitoring, and identity theft protection.

    In 2019, it bought family screen-time monitoring app ZenScreen and in April, it acquired Jiobit which makes wearable location devices for kids, pets, and seniors. Most recently, it revealed plans to buy Tile, a company that makes Bluetooth trackers to help consumers find easily lost items like wallets and keys. Hulls says data from Tile devices won’t be sold.

    Life360 does give an option to its app users to disable the sale of location data.

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  • Waze survey: more than 50% of Americans would quit their jobs for a shorter commute

    Waze survey: more than 50% of Americans would quit their jobs for a shorter commute

    Waze’s days of being just a simple navigation app are long gone. Today’s Waze is a fully automated companion for drivers all around the globe that not only provides navigational directions, but also entertainment (in many forms). And since there are so many people using Waze while driving, wouldn’t be interesting to know what they’re using the app for?

    Today, Waze released its first-ever Year in Rear View survey, which puts US driving behaviors from 2021 under the spotlight. Using first- and third-party data, the navigation app is taking a look back at its year in travel to see the places where Waze users drove the most, the books and music that were listened to the most, as well as other interesting habits.

    The full survey includes data from Waze users in the US, Canada, UK, France, Italy, Israel, Brazil, and Mexico, but we’re going to take a look at how US drivers made use of the app throughout the year.

    What behaviors, trends or quirky habits did drivers showcase in 2021?

    • 60% of global respondents are happy drivers, rating themselves 8 or above (out of 10). Drivers in Brazil and Mexico were ranked the happiest drivers, while drivers in the U.S. scored 7. In the US, 35–44-year-olds are the happiest drivers
    • Brits are known for being polite, so it’s no surprise 60% would wait patiently if a car ahead of them wasn’t moving. Meanwhile, 35% of Americans are more likely to honk their horns to get moving!
    • Shopping was the main reason 43% of Americans used their cars in 2021, with visiting family (36%) and commuting to and from work (36%) following behind
    • Older Americans are more confident parallel parkers: while 33% of 18–24-year-olds refused to parallel park, only 8% of those 65 and over said they wouldn’t

    As far as entertainment goes, the results are totally unsurprising, especially when it comes to drivers in the United States.

    What kept drivers entertained this year?

    • Sweets and candy were the top snack of choice for drivers across the globe, except in the U.S. where drivers prefer fast food as their favorite snack
    • U.S. drivers felt that “Easy on Me” by Adele, “Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic, and “Peaches” by Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon best reflected their year on the road
    • Podcasts are a more popular option for younger American drivers with 45% of 25–34-year-olds choosing this entertainment, compared to 20% of 55-64-year-olds
    • Globally, those listening to podcasts used their time to stay informed with NPR News Now, The Daily, ABC News Briefing, Times News Briefing and Sur Le Fil ranked as the top podcasts drivers listened to on Spotify via Waze
    • 45% of 18–24-year-olds in the U.S. would give up their phones if it meant a year with no traffic; while 38% of 65-year-olds and over wouldn’t give up anything to avoid traffic

    Most Waze drivers would have Elon Musk ride with them

    The survey also reveals that James Bonds’ Aston Martin was the top car of choice for North American drivers with 32% of users choosing the muscle car. Jennifer Lopez and Elon Musk were the top female and male celebs who made headlines this year that drivers across the globe would most like to have in their passenger seat, yet US drivers would rather have Beyonce and Elon Musk or Joe Biden riding with them.

    Here is something very interesting though: more than 50% of US residents would quit or change their jobs just to benefit from a shorter commute. Also, carpooling remains the best option to avoid traffic with Americans (39%) more likely to share their journey with a friend or colleague to avoid traffic than drivers in other countries.

    Finally, Waze’s survey also contains data bout US cities where the app’s users drove the most this summer: New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, and Nashville.

  • Coles Plus adds extra benefits

    Coles Plus adds extra benefits

    Coles customers can now earn double Flybuys points on eligible products1every time they shop in Coles Supermarkets and Coles online, thanks to subscription-based service Coles Plus.

    Since launching in February, Coles Plus member numbers have grown rapidly and now Coles is offering members unlimited free delivery2, including free Same Day Delivery at select stores3, for all orders of $50 or more – down from the previous minimum of $100.

    The new offer means customers will be able to save up to $11 per home delivery in the lead up to Christmas.

    For just $19 a month, Coles Plus members also have exclusive access to a number of benefits including a Priority Customer Care line and unlimited use of Click&Collect Rapid, which allows Coles online customers to order and pick up their groceries in less than 90 minutes – a service priced at $5 per order for non-members.

    Coles General Manager Online Commercials Karen Donaldson said Coles was listening to customer feedback and responding to changing customer needs to tailor the benefits offered to Coles Plus members.

    “In the past year we’ve seen more customers adopting a hybrid approach by shopping both in-store and online, so it’s important we expand our subscription program to reward those customers in a meaningful way,” she said.

    “We continue to see significant growth in demand for online grocery shopping and we are investing in customer experience and capacity, which is having a positive impact on customer satisfaction.

    We recently launched our shoppable Coles App enabling customers to order through the app, view the catalog, or build their shopping list and then use it to map out their trip to the supermarket aisle-by-aisle.

    “By rewarding the loyalty of our digitally-engaged customers both in-store and online, it ensures Coles continues to lead anytime, anywhere, anyhow shopping.”

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  • Google Chat in Gmail now lets users call someone directly

    Google Chat in Gmail now lets users call someone directly

    Google teased some upcoming features for the Google Chat in Gmail a few months ago but didn’t exactly say when they will be made available to the general public. With less than a month left until the end of the year, Google revealed that the ability to ring someone directly using Google Chat in Gmail is now available on mobile.

    Gmail users on Android and iOS can start or join meetings and audio calls from 1:1 chats in Google Chat within the mobile app. The new feature doesn’t work on anything else other than 1:1 chats at least for the moment.

    Simply select the phone or video icon in the top right cornet of a 1:1 chat to ring someone directly. Keep in mind though selecting “Join a call” from the Google Chat app will redirect to the Gmail app since this is where the call will take place.

    To join a call, select the phone or video within the 1:1 chat. You should be able to see a banner of the person you’re on a call with while on a call. Also, the call duration and a Meet icon are visible in the chat roster. Finally, the red phone or video icon within the conversation and the chat roster are used for missed calls.

    The new feature is available by default on Android and iOS devices, but you’ll need to install the latest version of Gmail. According to Google, the updated version of Gmail is now rolling out to users on both Android and iOS platforms, although it will take around two weeks to reach everyone.

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  • WhatsApp adds more options for disappearing messages on iOS and Android

    WhatsApp adds more options for disappearing messages on iOS and Android

    WhatsApp introduced disappearing messages last year. The feature was further improved not long ago with the option to make photos and video disappear immediately after being viewed once. Today, WhatsApp announced a new set of control options for those using disappearing messages.

    Starting this week, iOS and Android users will be able to control their messages and how long they will remain visible thanks to two new features: default disappearing messages and multiple durations.

    The latest version of WhatsApp adds the option to turn on disappearing messages by default for all new chats. This means that all individual chats will be set to disappear at your chosen duration. Furthermore, WhatsApp added a new option when creating a group chat that lets users enable default disappearing messages for groups. Obviously, this is an optional feature that’s not enabled by default.

    Also, the update includes two new durations for disappearing messages – 24 hours and 90 days, in addition to the existing option of 7 days. You can set durations for disappearing messages from the Privacy settings and choose “Default Message Timer.”

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  • AirAsia resumes flights to Singapore after two years

    AirAsia resumes flights to Singapore after two years

    AirAsia Philippines resumed its service to Singapore last December 4, ending a two-year hiatus of its flights to the Asian city-state.

    AirAsia Philippines’ first flight to Singapore in two years departed the NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City at 8:00 a.m. and successfully landed at Changi International Airport at 11:40 a.m. last December 4. It made a return flight from Singapore at 12:25 p.m. and safely landed in Manila at 4:05 p.m. the same day.

    “Initially we will cater to our Filipino workers and business travelers but soon as we slowly recover from the global pandemic, we hope to open this route for leisure travel also,” AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan said.

    “This is extra special for us in AirAsia because we know how Filipinos value family traditions during the Christmas season and we take pride in being an instrument to those happy and meaningful reunions,” he added.

    To recognize the heroism of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), AirAsia gave away 100 free tickets during the inaugural Manila-Singapore-Manila flight after two years.

    One of the winners was Grace Macaraeg was very thankful for the free ticket that she considers a timely Christmas gift for OFWs.

    She says the money she saved for her ticket to Manila will be used as additional funds for her niece’s cancer medication and treatment.

    “While it is true that we are always a video away from each other, especially at times when she is going through chemo. But nothing beats being able to hug and kiss her in person, it is simply priceless,” Macaraeg said.

    Also, as part of the Department of Tourism’s “Balikan Ang Pilipinas” campaign, AirAsia is also offering an early Christmas package with Balikbayan Package. By using the promo code BLKBYN10, guests can avail of the 10-percent off on Manila-Singapore and Manila-Hong Kong flights for bookings made until Dec. 12, 2021.

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  • Facebook opens its first pop-up store in Hong Kong

    Facebook opens its first pop-up store in Hong Kong

    Facebook has opened doors to its first pop-up store in Hong Kong to educate consumers on how to personalize their Facebook experience and unlock exciting possibilities while maintaining their online privacy and safety. From December 3 to 7, Preface Coffee & Wine in Central, the F&B and lifestyle concept space, will be transformed into a temporary “Facebook home” to showcase the true benefits of technology and demonstrate the different ways users can personalize their Facebook – the way they want it – through digital experience and AR filters.

    Inspired by the way people customize their homes, Facebook last week launched “Your Profile, Your  Home” a digital consumer experience to educate people on Facebook settings that enable personalization, and to reinforce Facebook’s commitment to protecting the privacy and safety of users.

    Along with Preface Coding, Facebook has transformed Preface Coffee & Wine (Central) into a pop-up store that showcases the app’s privacy control and settings. With the tagline “What makes a perfect home?”, the pop-up store is set to be the newest Instagrammable spot in Central. Renowned local celebrity Alfred Hui attended the kick-off event to demonstrate the customizable settings.

    From December 3 to 7, anyone can visit the “Your Profile, Your Home” pop-up store and play with two fun and interactive AR filters developed by Preface Coding, including photo-taking with an avatar of Alfred Hui. Visitors can also immerse themselves in the “Your Profile, Your Home” digital experience, in which they’ll have tools to build and design their very own home as they explore the exciting possibilities of personalization on Facebook. Visitors can test their knowledge of Facebook’s new privacy settings with an on-site quiz; the first 10 winners of each day will receive Alfred Hui’s autographed gift.

    In November, Meta, also formerly known as Facebook said it plans to remove its detailed targeting options from January 2022 onwards. With this move, advertisers will not be able to target users who have interacted with content related to health causes, sexual orientation, religious practices, political beliefs and social issues, among others.

    While this move limits the way Meta’s targeting tools can be abused, VP of product marketing, Graham Mudd said the company is aware that this change may negatively impact some businesses and organizations. “We have heard concerns from experts that targeting options such as these could be used in ways that lead to negative experiences for people in underrepresented groups,” he explained. He added, “It is important to note that the interest targeting options we are removing are not based on people’s physical characteristics or personal attributes, but instead on things like people’s interactions with content on our platform.”

    According to Mudd, this decision was not simple and required a balance of competing interests where there was advocacy in both directions. While some of Meta’s advertising partners have expressed concerns about these targeting options going away because of its ability to help generate positive societal change, others understand the decision to remove them. He added, “Even after we update our targeting options, people may still see ad content they aren’t interested in, which is why we are also working to expand the control that allows people to choose to see fewer ads about certain types of content. Today, people can opt to see fewer ads related to politics, parenting, alcohol, and pets. Early next year, we will be giving people control of more types of ad content, including gambling and weight loss, among others.”

    Meanwhile, Meta said it will maintain its commitment to helping small businesses, non-profits, and advocacy groups reach their audiences. Meta will be working to expand the control that allows users to choose to see fewer ads about certain types of content, said Mudd. Today, users are able to opt to see fewer ads related to topics such as politics, parenting, alcohol and pets. Early next year, Meta aims to give users control on more types ad content which includes gambling and weight-loss, among others.

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