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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.

  • Android Q will support wide-color gamuts

    Android Q will support wide-color gamuts

    Google announced that Android will be gaining system-wide support for wide color gamut images starting with Android 10 Q. The next version of Android will allow you to capture, view, and easily share pictures with wide color gamuts. This will introduce more richness in terms of color reproduction compared to the standard sRGB color space.

    All things considered, Android’s adoption of wide color gamuts comes across as a rather logical move that reflects on the advancements we’ve witnessed in imaging technology, in terms of both camera and display improvements. As more and more devices these days come along with screens excellently-calibrated to the sRGB standard, but also support wider gamuts, supporting these more realistic color spaces right off the bat in stock Android signals an important milestone for Android as an operating system and its gradual shift towards quality-of-life enhancements.

    At Android, we have been working to make wide color photography happen end-to-end, e.g. more bits and bigger gamuts. This means, eventually users will be able to capture the richness of the scenes, share wide color pictures with friends and view wide color pictures on their phones.

    What color spaces are we talking about? Android Q will most certainly support Display P3 and Adobe RGB, with the door being left ajar for other wide-color gamuts as well.  Of course, developers will have to update their apps and make sure they support wide-color gamut content once Android Q launches this summer, and in order to ease up this change, the company has rounded up a few do’s and don’ts of adapting to wide color gamuts. Probably the most important requirement is that apps should never assume an sRGB color profile of any external image it gets and should check the ICC color profile embedded in the image file.

    Of course, not every app would end up adopting wide-color gamuts, and Google advises that developers at least be color-correct, meaning that they should take the necessary steps to decode wide-color images to sRGB.

    You can test if your device is Display P3 compatible by opening out this image – if you see a faint Android logo, your display supports the Display P3 color space; otherwise, if you see a solid red square, then either your device or your browser is not compatible. Some devices that should display the image correctly are Apple’s latest iPhones, which will do that straight in the browser, while others like Samsung’s Galaxy S10 series will only do that if you download the image and view it in the stock gallery. You can also check out this website for more comparison images.

  • Massive leak exposed personal data of 49 million Instagram Accounts

    Massive leak exposed personal data of 49 million Instagram Accounts

    An Instagram database containing the private information of 49 million members, was accidentally left exposed on Amazon Web Services. The database could have been viewed by anyone since it did not have a password for protection. The accounts in the database included those belonging to Instagram influencers, celebrities, and corporate brand accounts and contained their biographies, profile pictures, number of followers, location (city and country), phone numbers and email addresses.

    The leak was discovered by security researcher Anurag Sen, who then contacted TechCrunch to help find the owner of the database. As it turns out, the information belonged to a social-media firm in India called Chtrbox that pays influencers to put up sponsored content on their Instagram accounts. The data included a ranking of each influencer depending on the number of followers they each have and the response to their posts by other Instagram members. While Chtrbox hasn’t commented yet on the matter, the database has since been taken offline.

    Facebook bought Instagram in April 2012 for approximately $1 billion and said that it will investigate the incident.

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  • Google Calendar update adds Dark Mode for Android users

    Google Calendar update adds Dark Mode for Android users

    Google has just announced that the long-awaited dark mode is now rolling out on Android for two of its apps: Calendar and Keep. Ahead of Android Q’s release, Google has decided to bring dark mode to many apps. We learned last week that Google Keep will be getting the feature, but Calendar is a bit of a surprise.

    The announcement contains a couple of screenshots showing both Calendar and Keep apps with dark mode enabled. If you want to start using it on Google Calendar, you should head to Settings / General / Theme, and select Dark mode. It’s much easier to enable it in Google Keep; simply go to Settings and choose Enable Dark Mode.

    Now, it’s worth mentioning that dark mode for Calendar is only supported on device running Android Nougat and higher. Also, if you have Android Q preview installed on your phone, you’ll be able to set the entire OS in dark mode by default. The same goes for Google Keep with one exception, dark mode will work on all devices powered by Android Lollipop and later.

    According to Google, the update that brings dark mode to Calendar and Keep apps will be rolled out to compatible Android devices over the course of 15 days. The rollout has already begun on May 16 for Google Calendar, while Google Keep will get it starting today, May 20.

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  • Android Q beta now available for OnePlus 7 Owners

    Android Q beta now available for OnePlus 7 Owners

    Here is some good news for developers and risk takers who just purchased the OnePlus 7 or OnePlus 7 Pro. The latest Android Q beta (which is number 3) is now available for the phones. OnePlus announced this on its blog and pointed out that “this build of Android Q is best suited for developers and early adopters.” Why? Because beta versions of the software are often filled with more bugs than a Raid test facility. And if the OnePlus 7 or OnePlus 7 Pro is your new daily driver, who wants to deal with a problem that prevents you from using an important feature on the phone?

    Speaking of problems, there are some known issues with the third Android Q beta preview. The Ambient Display, which uses machine learning to learn how bright or dim you like the display to look under certain conditions, is not working. There are also some problems with system stability, and texts can’t be sent when the Voice over LTE setting is enabled. The gestures used to navigate the phone also don’t work, and neither does Recovery mode. OnePlus also points out that some apps might not work the way you expect them to with this beta release.

    Some warnings. While signing up to join the Android Q beta program on a Pixel is a simple and easy procedure that allows you to receive updates OTA from the first beta build you receive, signing up for the OnePlus 7 or OnePlus 7 Pro requires that you load a zip file, and then flash the necessary files. All of the directions can be found on the OnePlus blog, including how to put your phone back on track to receive stable builds OTA. Either way, you will lose all of the data stored on the device so you might want to back up your data first.

    If you’ve done this before and are very familiar with flashing a ROM on a phone, this might not be so difficult. But if you’ve never done this before, a mistake could lead you to accidentally brick your phone. If you decide to proceed, make sure that your OnePlus 7 or OnePlus 7 Pro has at least 30% battery life and 3GB of storage available or higher.

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  • Microsoft brings redesigned Apple Watch notifications for Outlook

    Microsoft brings redesigned Apple Watch notifications for Outlook

    A quick heads up for those of you who are using Outlook for iOS on a regular basis. It looks like Microsoft has decided to revamp the Outlook notifications for Apple Watch, so if own the wearable device, you should start seeing them after you download the latest update.

    As per Microsoft’s announcement, the new notifications should allow Apple Watch users to see important emails, reminders, as well as detailed event information via Outlook calendar. It’s the only important change included in the update, at least according to the official changelog from the App Store.

    This is the third Outlook update aimed at Apple Watch users that Microsoft releases this month, but that doesn’t mean that other platforms have been neglected.

    Microsoft revealed last week important new features that will be coming to Outlook for Android and iOS soon, including the option to select favorite persons and notifications, Office Lens upgrades and a couple of other nifty improvements.

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  • Microsoft adds requested new feature for the Your Phone Companion

    Microsoft adds requested new feature for the Your Phone Companion

    Microsoft’s Your Phone Companion app allows users to sync their Android phone with their Windows 10 PC. Texts, notifications, and photos can be sent to your desktop or laptop from any phone running Android 7 or higher. With certain Android handsets including the OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T, the Samsung Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S9+, Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy Note 9, apps can be mirrored on the PC as well.

    Previously, the app worked using a Wi-Fi connection only. However, a tweet sent on Friday from Microsoft Lead Project Manager Roberto Bojorquez revealed that an update pushed out to the Your Phone Companion app allows your phone and Windows 10 desktop to sync using mobile data. The new capability surfaces on version 3.8.4 of the mobile app, although the version currently in the Google Play Store is version 3.4.8. Once the new version is installed on your Android phone, open the settings and enable “sync over mobile data” by using the toggle switch. The update also brings a new icon for the app.

    As we pointed out earlier this year, there is a way to have the app work in reverse and send content from a Windows 10 PC to your Android phone. This requires you to install the Your Phone Companion app and the Microsoft Edge mobile browser on your phone. Web pages and other content you were viewing using the desktop version of Edge can be shared to the mobile version of the browser on your phone.

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  • Dark mode is rolling out now to another Google app

    Dark mode is rolling out now to another Google app

    Even though Android Q will have a system-wide Dark mode feature, Google continues to add a Dark mode on many of its apps, especially those updated with the Material Design look. Considering that only 10.4% of Android phones have Android 9 installed nine months after its release, Google will continue to update individual apps with Dark mode. This is important considering that Google’s Material Design includes large areas of blinding white light in the background; viewing it in the dark makes it feel as though your retinas are melting.

    Dark mode makes it more comfortable to view an app or website at night or in the dark by reversing the usual white background and black text; instead, the user sees white text on a black background. And it will actually save some battery life on phones using an AMOLED screen. That’s because the color black is created on these panels by having all pixels turned off, which doesn’t require any battery power. LCD screens use a backlight even for black, and that requires some energy to be tapped from the battery.

    The latest Android app to get the Dark mode feature is Google Keep, an app that is used to write down notes and lists. For example, you can create a shopping list and have it appear when you’re at the supermarket, or at a set time. You can also snap a picture of a receipt and store it until needed. Or just type in random thoughts and ideas that you can share with friends and family members. The app has large areas of white that can strain your eyes or worse in the dark.

    This is a server-side update that takes the Android version of the app to 5.19.191.07. When you finally do receive the update, you’ll find the Dark mode toggle by opening up the Settings page.

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  • Naiise Iconic store opens at Changi Airport

    Naiise Iconic store opens at Changi Airport

    A Naiise Iconic store has opened at Jewel Changi Airport. Spanning almost 9500sqft across a two-story space, Naiise Iconic store brings new creative brands and ‘experience stations’ to customers.

    The first one is a tea bar run by homegrown tea marketplace Teapasar, which hosts more than 30 tea brands and 100 types of tea. Customers can get their teas roasted on the spot for the freshest possible brew.

    The airport store – a new concept for the homewares-and-gifts retailer – also hosts Naiise’s first cafe, featuring foods and beverages from local brands. At an ‘open-source’ communal pantry, customers can enjoy Joe & Dough, Bettr Barista, superfood juice maker Doki Doki, or breakfasts from Udders.

    There is also a stationery corner, where customers can design their own notebooks, picking out a cover, selecting a combination of papers, then choosing binding rings and elastic bands.

    On the second floor, there is a section for local fashion and beauty brands, ranging ladies’ and kids’ fashion, accessories, fragrances and grooming. Beauty brand Alche{me} has a mini lab there to help customers find products that work for their unique skin types.

    To support local entrepreneurs, the store introduces Launchpad, an area where brands can display their products and ideas to test customer demand and perception.

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  • Spotify unveils its first-ever hardware device

    Spotify unveils its first-ever hardware device

    Spotify has been the unrivaled champion of the thriving music streaming industry for a number of years now, but relying entirely on a service under siege by tech giants including Apple and Amazon seems like decidedly risky business. As such, it’s certainly not shocking to see the 2006-founded Swedish company dip its toes into the consumer hardware world with an aptly titled Car Thing device.

    This “thing” does pretty much what you expect, reportedly plugging into your car’s 12-volt power outlet/cigarette lighter to allow Spotify users to control their smartphone playlists and podcasts on the road in complete safety with voice commands only. The Car Thing is essentially a less versatile Anker Roav Bolt powered by an unnamed Google Assistant rival… that’s unlikely to ever see daylight on anything resembling a wide scale.

    That’s right, you can’t actually purchase Spotify’s first-ever piece of hardware, which will instead be offered for free to a “small group” of invited Premium subscribers to help the company “learn more about how people listen to music and podcasts.” While this is all explicitly and repeatedly billed as a test, set to be conducted in the US only in the near future, Spotify is leaving the door open to an eventual expansion of the limited experiment.

    For the time being, the focus is squarely on “becoming the world’s number one audio platform” rather than creating consumer-oriented hardware, but the way future experiences will be developed depends on the “learnings” from this test. In other words, if invited users declare themselves pleased with the Spotify Car Thing, you shouldn’t rule out it becoming a commercial… thing someday.

    Obviously, we don’t have a full spec sheet or list of features for the Car Thing, but we do know it comes with a circular screen, a number of physical buttons, and a “Hey, Spotify” wake word. Intriguingly, Spotify is also teasing upcoming “Voice Thing” and “Home Thing” tests purportedly designed to assess the living room listening habits of the platform’s Premium users.

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  • Crumpler expands Stores Network in Hong Kong and the Philippines

    Crumpler expands Stores Network in Hong Kong and the Philippines

    Crumpler expands its distribution network in Hong Kong and the Philippines; plans pop-ups. Australian bag manufacturer Crumpler has taken on two new distribution partners in Asia.

    With the introduction of new partners Bauhaus Holdings in Hong Kong and Shoemakers Shop in the Philippines, the brand is now supported by seven distributors across seven countries in the region, has a presence in 10 retailers, and will unveil three new pop-up stores and one concession store in the coming months.

    Crumpler is now stocked at four Bauhaus outlets in Hong Kong, and two stores in Macau. It has also opened its first fully ranged standalone store in Hanguang department store, Beijing, in partnership with Sea To Summit China.

    In the Philippines, Shoemaker’s Shop will relaunch Crumpler this summer with three pop-up stores opening in Alabang Town Center, Trinoma and the Duty Free Philippines Fiesta Mall. This is only the beginning for Crumpler in the Philippines, with local e-commerce in the works.

    Crumpler is meanwhile continuously building its physical store and online presence in Australia, the US and Asia with more than 27 storefronts and distribution across 37 key department store and online retailers worldwide.

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  • Scentre Selling Stakes in Westfield Burwood mall

    Scentre Selling Stakes in Westfield Burwood mall

    Retail landlord Scentre Group has sold a 50 per cent stake in its Westfield Burwood mall in Sydney to Perron Group for $575 million.

    The deal with the Perth-based company, founded by the late Perth billionaire Stan Perron, represents a 4.1 per cent premium to the centre’s $1.1 billion book value as of December 31, 2018.

    The proceeds from the off-market transaction, brokered by Colliers International’s Lachlan MacGillivray, will initially be used to repay debt, according to Scentre Group.

    Scentre Group CEO Peter Allen said the returns will also provide the group with further capital to pursue its strategic objectives of creating long-term value for security holders.

    The transaction is expected to be dilutive to FFO per security in 2019 by approximately 0.2 cents per security.

    “We are excited by the unique opportunity to invest in one of the highest quality shopping centres in Australia,” said Perron Group CEO Ross Robertson.

    “Westfield Burwood is one of the top 50 shopping centres in Australia with customer visitation of more than 14 million per annum and total retail sales of close to $500 million.”

    Perron Group also holds half stakes in other Scentre Group assets, including Westfield Woden in Canberra, Westfield Airport West in Melbourne and Westfield Geelong in Victoria.

    Scentre Group’s forecast distribution remained unchanged at 22.60 cents per security.

    The group will continue to manage Westfield Burwood.

    The Burwood deal comes as the owner of Westfield shopping centres in Australia and New Zealand won state government approval for its $500 redevelopment masterplan at Westfield Doncaster in Melbourne’s east, a key feature of which is the 14-storey tower rising above a two-level podium for retail outlets.

    The Westfield Doncaster redevelopment project will add 43000sqm of retail and 18,000sqm of commercial office space on the site.

  • North Korean department store boasts ‘world-class’ design

    North Korean department store boasts ‘world-class’ design

    Pyongyang department store design takes cues from foreign states.

    A new North Korean department store just opened in Pyongyang is drawing attention for welcoming foreign technologies and products, as well as management strategies and culture.

    The Choson Sinbo, the pro-Pyongyang media outlet headquartered in Tokyo, introduced the new Daesung Department Store that opened in Pyongyang in April, describing it as a “modern mall” created in close cooperation with foreign states.

    It reported that architects at the Paektusan Academy of Architecture, known as North Korea’s top architectural research facility, strived to bring in world-class design from advanced nations, ranging from overall interior design to methods of showcasing products.

    It is the department store’s strategy to sell both expensive world-class brands and North Korean-made quality products that are more affordable.

    “Unlike Pyongyang Department Store No.1 or the Gwangbok District Commercial Center where quality North Korean goods are sold, Daesung Department Store not only sells North Korean goods, but also various world-class brands,” said the Choson Sinbo.

    “They sell both affordable and expensive goods together.”

    Daesung Department Store is reflecting global trends to sell both high and low-end brands from overseas as well as popular domestic brands within the confines of a single store.

    Flat-screen televisions made by Sony and Philips, water purifiers from Maybaum, washing machines by Siemens, rice cookers by Tiger, and electronic goods by Panasonic were among the goods offered at the store.

    North Korea also invited foreign experts to study the methods of showcasing products at the store, bringing in various tools to increase sales.

    Daesung Department Store was first built in 1986 on Pyongyang’s Munsu Street, and was renovated recently for expansion.

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  • Retail Sales growth holds steady in April

    Retail Sales growth holds steady in April

    Economy-wide spending remained stable in April, apparently unaffected by the election period, according to the Commonwealth Bank’s latest Business Sales Indicator (BSI).

    Spending rose 0.5 per cent in trend terms in April, after gains of 0.6 per cent in both February and March, and a 0.5 per cent increase in January.

    Annual trend sales growth remained steady at 5.3 per cent for the 4th straight month, just below the 5.5 per cent long-term average growth rate.

    The seasonally-adjusted measure of the BSI, which measures debit and credit card transactions at Commonwealth Bank merchant facilities, rose 0.3 per cent in April, the 10th gain in the past year.

    The continued momentum in April was driven by strong growth in the amusement and entertainment and utilities sectors, which were both up 1.0 per cent, and hotels and motels, which was up 0.9 per cent, likely due to the Easter and Anzac Day holiday period.

    Retail stores also recorded spending gains in the month, though sales in clothing stores were down 0.3 per cent, making it the sector with the biggest drop, followed business services and repair services, which were down by 0.2 per cent.

    Sales were stronger across all states and territories in April except Northern Territory, where spending was down 0.4 per cent. Queensland saw the strongest growth, up 0.9 per cent), followed by Victoria and Tasmania, both up 0.8 per cent, South Australia, up 0.5 per cent, and Western Australia, NSW and ACT, both up 0.3 per cent.

    In annual terms, all states and territories had sales above a year ago except Northern Territory, where sales were down 5.4 per cent. Tasmania had the strongest annual growth, up 7.1 per cent, followed by Western Australia, up 7 per cent. South Australia had the slowest growth, up 3.1 per cent.

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  • Update to Gboard makes it more Attractive

    Update to Gboard makes it more Attractive

    Google is pushing out an update to the Gboard virtual keyboard app for Android users. This includes support for Emoji 12.0, but only for those whose phones are running on Android Q. Some of the new emoji available includes an Otter, a service dog, a falafel, both a manual and a motorized wheelchair, and a stick of butter. Those in the healthcare industry will surely use the stethoscope and drop of blood emojis. The Unicode Consortium, which includes members such as Apple, Huawei, and Microsoft, unveiled Emoji 12.0 last February

    The other new features mentioned in the update include the ability to delete search history with a long press, vertical scrolling for emoji and expression stickers (although some have already had this feature for some time now), quick access to the clipboard, sticky preferences for emoji skin tone and gender, and the ability to import/export custom words for the dictionary.

    One new feature not mentioned in the changelist now matches the color of the Gboard navigation bar with the theme that you’ve selected for the virtual QWERTY. Previously the bar could only be black or white so those using Gboard might find this to be an improvement visually.

    We received this update literally minutes before starting to type out this article. You check to see if it has arrived on your phone by opening the Google Play Store. Once that task is completed, tap on the hamburger menu on the left side of the search bar. Click on My apps & games and check out the apps that are in queue to be updated. If Gboard is among them, tap the update box on the right, wait for it to be installed, and the next time you are ready to do some typing you can see the changes.

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  • DFS and Bally Partnership Launches Deng Lun capsule collection

    DFS and Bally Partnership Launches Deng Lun capsule collection

    Luxury travel retailer DFS Group and Swiss luxury brand Bally have released an exclusive capsule collection featuring new ambassador Deng Lun.

    The Fall Winter 2019 ready-to-wear DFS and Bally collection features Bally’s best-selling silhouettes with some exclusive details. Inspired by the joy and freedom of travel, the collection explores these emotions through mountaineering and other forms of discovery. The unisex series of ready-to-wear and leather goods also echoes Bally’s sportswear design DNA.

    “We are thrilled to be partnering with Bally in debuting an exclusive capsule collection, and to introduce yet another assortment that our discerning customers can only find at DFS stores worldwide,” said DFS Group senior VP fashion Magali Ginsburg.

    “DFS represents the ultimate luxury shopping experience in the travel retail channel. We are pleased to serve customers in this important network with a unique collection that reflects the sense of adventure rooted in Bally’s history. Our partnership with pioneering actor Deng Lun aptly celebrates this capsule debut,” said Bally Group CEO Nicolas Girotto.

    The exclusive capsule collection includes three men’s large leather goods and three ready-to-wear pieces as well as two unisex caps.

    The DFS x Bally capsule collection will be available at select DFS downtown T Gallerias and airport stores until May 30.