General – Page 64 – Retail News CRM

Google Messages may get Snapchat-like 3D effects soon
Google Messages is reportedly working on new features that will allow users to share photos and videos with fun avatars and 3D effects, much like Snapchat’s popular Lenses feature. This is according to an APK breakdown of the app’s code, which suggests that the feature is still in development and unknown when it will be released to the public.

If the feature does make it to a public release, it could offer a new way for users to express themselves and add some personality to their messages. The 3D effects appear to mimic the user’s facial movements, with some effects covering the user’s face entirely and others adding accessories like hats or glasses.

The feature in action shows a new button in the app’s camera UI that brings up a carousel of available effects. Users can tap on the icons in the carousel to trigger the effects, and then capture a photo or video using the shutter button. Below are the nine effects that are hidden in the current version of Google Messages:
- Bunny
- Glasses
- Dinosaur
- Film Noir
- Glowing hat
- Runner
- Portrait touch-up
- Strawberry
- Valentine’s Day panda
However, it is possible that Google may add more effects before the feature is released to the public. The company has not yet shared any official information about the feature or a possible release timeline, but if testing works out and the company decides to roll it out, it is expected that more details will follow.

The addition of Snapchat-like filters to Google Messages could be a welcome change for users who are looking for new ways to express themselves and add some personality to their messages. It will be interesting to see how this feature develops and how it is received by users if and when it is eventually released.

It is clear that Google is investing heavily in Google Messages, and it is likely that we will see even more new features and improvements in the future. The app is already one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, and it is only going to become more popular as Google continues to add new features and make it more user-friendly.
Lees ook:
Lees ook:
- Retail sales in Singapore surge as border restrictions relaxed
Lees ook:
- Indonesia AirAsia gets letter on positive equity position
Lees ook:
- Wines and spirits contribution to LVMH luxury business
Lees ook:
- Cebu Pacific flies 150 millionth passenger
July 12, 2024

Air China extends cargo handling contracts with WFS in France and the UK by 3 more years

Air China has extended its longstanding cargo handling contracts with Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, in France and the United Kingdom, by a further three years.

The airline has been a major customer of WFS at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport since the early 1990s. This latest contract extension in Paris sees WFS handling cargo carried onboard 12 to 14 passenger flights per week connecting the French capital with Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai as well as 10 weekly freighter services linking Paris with Chengdu and Hangzhou.

Additionally, the contract in Paris, which also includes ramp handling, enables Air China and its cargo customers to benefit from WFS’ national trucking network in France and offline handling services at more than 10 regional French airports.

In the United Kingdom, Air China has awarded contract extensions to WFS at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

At Heathrow, Air China operates 24 passenger flights per week carrying cargo to and from Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai. WFS is also contracted to provide cargo handling services for the airline’s 14 flights which connect London Gatwick with Beijing and Shanghai each week.

WFS is also providing countrywide road transport services and offline handling at other major regional airports for Air China in the UK.

“Air China is a major customer of WFS across our international network. Our strong global partnership continues to grow, based on our ability to meet all the airline’s service and growth expectations,” said John Batten, WFS’ Chief Executive Officer, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia (EMEAA).

July 11, 2024

Tax collection from online vendors rises by 54%

Tax collection from online sellers rose 54% year-on-year in the first half to VND9.98 trillion (US$392 million) as the government cracks down on tax evasion by e-commerce sellers.

Some 43,000 vendors and businesses aid taxes, with over 4,500 also paying fines for violations, according to the General Department of Taxation.

Typically, a seller needs to pay 1.5% revenue tax.

Delays in registering a business and apprising the tax office about sales data could result in a fine of VND15 million.

The government estimates there are 3.1 million households and individuals doing business across the country, many of them online, who have not registered with tax authorities.

The department of taxation is cross-checking their data with that of the Ministries of Public Security and Industry and Trade, and e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, Sendo, and Tiki to ensure no one escapes the tax net.

Hanoi has identified thousands of online vendors, including livestreamers, and collected VND10 trillion from them in the first six months.

July 11, 2024

Google Maps “Promoted Pins” feature that’s freaking everyone out is not new

When Anthony Higman, the person who first posted about the feature, was told the same, he was adamant that he did not tap anything, and the suggestion popped up on its own. The good news is that Higman said that the popup disappeared on its own in less than a minute.

While it’s not clear if “Promoted Pins” can sometimes show up on their own, it’s a relief that they disappear after a while

As X user Anthony Higman has shared, Google’s map app will not shy away from suggesting a quick detour to get you to visit one of the locations paying it to advertise on the app. Highman was asked to make a stop at Royal Farms, which is rated 2.9.

Apparently, these hangouts are suggested arbitrarily and don’t have anything to do with your search history, which is how online ads usually work.

As if we don’t already have enough ads all around us, be it billboards on the road or on websites we frequent, Google has somehow decided it’s a good idea to blast ads in your face when you are driving.

Since the ads appear while you are driving, they are quite distracting and potentially dangerous. And from the looks of it, the popup doesn’t go away unless you tap on “Cancel” or “Add stop.” Given many people rely on audio instructions while driving, tempting them to interact with the screen could jeopardise their safety.

A sponsored ad in Google Maps in the middle of your journey could potentially cause you to lose sight of where you were supposed to be going, especially if you are a new or inexperienced driver.

Google seems to have lifted this bright idea from its subsidiary Waze, which is allegedly only supposed to show sponsored suggestions when your vehicle is not moving, but, as some users have observed, that’s not the case.

It’s not known whether this feature is in testing or is here to stay. Higman has already declared that he will stop using the app if he gets sponsored suggestions every time he is driving. Not everyone hates the feature though, with one X user mentioning that it could be a good way to discover new places to go to.

July 10, 2024

Vietnam Airlines takes delivery of first A320neo

Vietnam Airlines recently received its first Airbus A320neo as part of its fleet rejuvenation efforts.

This is the first among the three A320neo planes, each seating 182 passengers, to be delivered to the carrier this year.

By adding the A320neo family, the airline affirms the resolve to leverage its operation capacity to meet passengers’ increasing demand, particularly during the peak summer travel season.

The new aircraft will help Vietnam Airlines provide an additional nearly 40,000 seats during the summer peak, and some 300,000 in the second half of the year.

They will be used on such domestic routes as Hanoi – Da Lat, Hanoi – Phu Quoc, Ho Chi Minh City – Thanh Hoa and Ho Chi Minh City – Chu Lai.

The modern narrow-body aircraft is equipped with a new-generation engine that helps save 16% of fuel consumption, reduce noise by 75% and cut some 50% of toxic exhaust compared to previous models.

Vietnam Airlines stressed that it has made unceasing efforts to improve its services and fleet, hoping to bring passengers safety and comfort.

The carrier will add large-body Boeing 787-10, the biggest passenger aircraft used in Vietnam at present, to its fleet in the coming time.

July 10, 2024

Google, Facebook, other foreign giants pay $159M taxes online

Companies that engage in e-commerce and other digital businesses without having an establishment in Vietnam have paid taxes of VND4.04 trillion (US$158.9 million) online in 2024, up 18.5% year-on-year.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the number of foreign service providers, as they are called, who registered to pay taxes through the electronic portal increased by 26 from the end of 2023 to 102 in June.

They include Google, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, Netflix, and Apple.

So far, around 383 international and domestic e-commerce platforms are registered on the electronic portal, up 22 from the end of 2023.

E-commerce activities are categorized into eight groups: e-commerce platforms, online trading websites or applications, social media platforms, transportation and delivery platforms, digital agency platforms, subscription services, advertisement services, and app store platforms.

According to the General Department of Taxation, tax payments from e-commerce activities amounted to VND97 trillion last year, up 14% from 2022.

July 10, 2024

Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines receive regulatory approval for commercial joint venture

Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines (SIA) received the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore’s (CCCS) approval of their commercial joint venture agreement.

With this approval, the airlines will be able to deepen their strategic partnership on a wider range of commercial activities that will bring greater benefits to both airlines, as well as Indonesia and Singapore. These potentially include operating joint revenue sharing flights between the two countries, coordinating flight schedules to offer travellers more options and seamless connectivity between Singapore and Indonesia and beyond, and exploring joint sales and marketing initiatives that provide greater value to both airlines’ customers.

Since Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines signed an agreement to deepen their partnership in May 2023, the carriers have been working on initiatives including giving GarudaMiles and KrisFlyer members the option to earn and redeem miles on codeshare routes. They have also embarked on joint marketing initiatives to promote tourism activities.

The airlines today codeshare on a wide range of flights, including between Singapore and Indonesian cities of Bali, Jakarta, Medan, and Surabaya, as well as on long-haul routes between Singapore and Johannesburg, London (Heathrow), and Mumbai.

Mr Irfan Setiaputra, President and Chief Executive Officer, Garuda Indonesia, said, “We are very pleased to receive this approval, as it marks significant progress towards our commitment to enhance service quality as well as broaden both Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines’ networks through a deepening partnership.

The joint venture initiative that we are preparing today has been one of the strategies to ensure extensive value creation for our loyal customers. Having regulatory approval as the first step in a commercial agreement will provide more opportunities for developing well-executed strategic ideas.

“Moreover, we hope that this joint venture agreement can provide seamless services for passengers with more flight schedule options and ease in earning and redeeming mileage. Also, this collaboration may deliver concrete action to contribute to boosting Indonesian tourism activities, which will support the post-pandemic economic recovery progress,” Mr Irfan explained.

Mr Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines, said, “The robust strategic partnership between Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines has enabled us to broaden our codeshare services over the last few years, offering our customers more choices on flights. With the CCCS’s approval, we are poised to deepen our collaboration across a wider scope of commercial activities.

Along with the ongoing work to strengthen the links between our frequent flyer membership programmes, this will provide our customers with even more options and enhanced value. This partnership underscores both airlines’ commitment to improving connectivity between Indonesia and Singapore and beyond, boosting both business and leisure travel, and contributing to economic growth.”

July 9, 2024

Vietjet boosts air travel between Southeast and Northeast Asia with new China and South Korea services

Vietjet has kicked off the direct service between Ho Chi Minh City and Xi’an, China, and introduced the new Nha Trang – Daegu, South Korea, route. These expansions highlight Vietjet’s commitment to providing more affordable and seamless travel options while strengthening air connectivity across Southeast and Northeast Asia.

On this occasion, Vietjet offers an exclusive promotion from now to July 7, 2024, featuring one million tickets starting from USD0 across its entire flight network. Bookings are available for travel between August 22, 2024, and May 22, 2025 through the Vietjet website and the Vietjet Air mobile app, presenting an exciting opportunity for travelers planning their next getaway.

The introduction of the Nha Trang – Daegu route on July 1, 2024, coincides with Vietjet’s 10th anniversary of successful operations between Vietnam and South Korea. Starting October 27, 2024, the service linking Vietnam’s coastal city Nha Trang with South Korea’s fourth-largest city Daegu will operate seven round trips per week, further enhancing Vietjet’s extensive South Korean services.

Vietjet currently holds the largest capacity between Vietnam and South Korea, seamlessly connecting Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Da Lat with Seoul, Busan, and Daegu. Over the past decade, Vietjet has facilitated convenient travel between the two countries, transporting ten million passengers across 37 regular and charter services, significantly contributing to economic, investment, tourism, and cultural exchanges.

Additionally, on July 1, 2024, Vietjet expands its footprint in China with inaugural flights on the route connecting Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam’s largest metropolis, to Xi’an, China’s prominent historical city. Vietjet is the sole airline offering this direct connection with four round trips per week, following the launch of Shanghai and Chengdu services earlier this year.

The airline’s route expansion aligns with increasing demand in international air travel and cargo markets across Asia-Pacific, driven by global economic activities. In May, airlines in the region transported 27.9 million passengers, marking a significant 23.9% year-on-year increase, as reported by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).

The new routes strengthen Vietjet’s flight network, providing travelers with convenient access to destinations across Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and beyond. During the first half of 2024, the airline launched several international services, linking Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, with Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, and Hiroshima in Japan, as well as connecting the island of Phu Quoc to Kaohsiung and Taichung in Taiwan.

Google is about to make posting Notes for search results easier

We’re currently more and more reliant on AI for searching and solving all kinds of problems. However, human opinion still matters, and it’s the best way to get reliable input. Since last fall, Google has been experimenting to offer a more human touch to people with Notes – a commentary on the search results a person got that other users can view.

Now, the folks at Android Authority have dug into some code and have discovered that Google is working on making posting Notes easier for its Android app.

Right now, Notes in Search is an opt-in feature part of Search Labs, and it’s currently available only to users in the US and India. Code in version 15.26.34 of the Google app for Android reveals that Google may be letting you quickly share your take on Search Results without having to choose a theme (choosing a theme appeared very important so far when posting a Note as if how things look is more important than the contents).

With this new tweak, Google is giving you options to still choose a theme, but you can also quickly set a background to your Note by attaching an image. This change hasn’t been rolled out publicly yet, but it probably should be available pretty soon. At least to the users that get to have access to Notes anyway.

I personally believe this feature is super useful and just wish it was available to more people. However, maybe Google needs time to refine it before it becomes globally available. Anyway, it will actually be a good thing so we don’t always have to rely on AI for feedback on something. Having someone else’s review of sorts on search results is actually a beneficial thing.

July 8, 2024

7-Eleven upcycles uniforms in textile waste initiative

7-Eleven Australia’s latest initiative to reduce textile waste going to landfill focuses on recycling old uniforms.

The convenience chain is working with Loop Upcycling (Loop) to turn textiles into stretch fabric beanies.

Julie Laycock, general manager – customer at 7-Eleven, said “Having identified old uniforms and other textiles, and learning from Loop Upcycling what the fabrics could be turned into, we collaborated with our community partners The Salvation Army and AMES Australia to determine what would be most useful for their clients.”

The beanies were donated to people experiencing homelessness, winter power bill challenges, as well as new migrants and refugees facing a cold Melbourne winter.

This collaboration has saved more than 143kg of clothing from landfill.

Franco Randazzo, Loop Upcycling CEO, said “Many of the participants who produced the beanies have themselves been supported by organisations like The Salvation Army or AMES Australia.

“For them to have the chance to work on a project that not only benefits the environment and helps them learn new skills, but also provides them the chance to give back to organisations who have been there for them in times of struggle has been really extraordinary.”

Laycock said 7-Eleven Australia continues to seek opportunities for waste reduction.

“Being able to support those in need and redirect waste from landfill is something we are trying to do more of. Loop, in addition to recycling textiles, provides workplace and skills training for vulnerable people.

“This project has created some extraordinary moments for connection and caring in our communities and we are looking forward to continuing to trial ways to reduce waste across our business,” she said.

June 27, 2024

Digital hotel keys arrive on Google Wallet

Google Wallet is making traveling a little less stressful for hotel guests by supporting digital hotel key cards. If your hotel offers it, you can save your hotel key right to Google Wallet and use your phone to unlock your room instead of carrying a physical key.

Adding a hotel key to Google Wallet is similar to adding a credit card. You’d just need to tap the “Add to Google Wallet” button on the hotel’s website, app, or in an email. Then, sign in and add the hotel to Google Wallet. To unlock your room, simply hold your phone near the door handle. Some phone models don’t even require you to unlock your phone first.

Google Wallet isn’t the first digital wallet to offer this feature. Apple Wallet on iPhones has had this capability since 2021 with the launch of iOS 15. However, adding it to Google Wallet opens it up to a whole new group of Android users. Some hotel chains, like Marriott and Hilton, have had digital key cards on their apps for a while, but the Google Wallet integration means you don’t have to download another app.

There’s one catch, though. Not all hotels are compatible with Google Wallet for digital key cards. Each hotel will have to add support for the feature, and right now, not many hotels have. One of the hotels that does offer digital key cards with Google Wallet is the Clarion Hotel Post in Sweden.

This new feature could be really convenient for travelers, but it’s unclear how quickly it will be widely available. Because it’s a new technology, fancier, more expensive hotels are probably the ones that will offer this first. We’ll have to wait and see if more affordable hotels start offering it too. In the meantime, if you happen to be staying at a hotel that offers digital key cards through Google Wallet, you can give it a try and see how you like it.

June 27, 2024

WFS and Singapore Airlines extend cargo handling partnership for launch of new flights to London Gatwick Airport

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, has been awarded three-year cargo handling contract extensions with Singapore Airlines in the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium.

In the UK, in addition to renewing its cargo handling and UK domestic road feeder services with WFS at London Heathrow and Manchester airports, Singapore’s national carrier is also partnering with WFS for cargo handling at London Gatwick Airport for the launch this month of five Airbus A350-900 direct flights a week connecting to Singapore Changi Airport.

In Paris, the new 3-year contract will extend WFS’ service to Singapore Airlines in France to over 40 years, having commenced in 1986 at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Singapore Airlines is also renewing its commitment to WFS in Brussels, where the two companies have worked together since 2021.

“We are proud to be growing our relationship with Singapore Airlines and to be supporting the airline’s global reputation for service excellence. As part of SATS Group, WFS is now able to offer an end-to-end cargo handling solution on these routes, which leverages the uniqueness of our partnership and ownership,” commented John Batten, Chief Executive Officer, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia (EMEAA) at WFS.

June 27, 2024

YouTube’s latest experiment adds Shorts to Smart Downloads

YouTube Premium users are now able to automatically download recommended Shorts for offline viewing through a limited-time experiment. The feature, called “Smart Downloads” has been around for some time for regular long-form videos. Now, it is also available for Shorts.

The feature is currently being tested with YouTube Premium users and allows them to download recommended Shorts to their devices automatically. Users can enable the feature by going to the Your Premium benefits section in the YouTube app and selecting the Try experimental new features option. Once enabled, the feature will automatically download recommended Shorts based on the user’s recent viewing history.

It’s important to note that currently you can only have one YouTube Experiment active at a time. For example, I currently have the YouTube Redesigned Watch Page experiment active until July 8th, which means that me signing up to try out the new Smart Downloads for Shorts would automatically remove me from the other experiment.

This new feature appears to have been available to some users as early as April, but it has now been rolled out to a wider audience. YouTube Premium members can try out the feature until July 15.

Smart Downloads has been available for regular YouTube videos for some time, and it allows users to automatically download recommended videos for offline viewing. The feature is designed to help users save data and watch videos when they don’t have an internet connection.

YouTube is constantly experimenting with new features and ways to improve the user experience. Smart Downloads for Shorts is just one of the many new features that the company is testing, and whether it becomes a permanent feature or not likely depends on user feedback. This means that if you are interested in having a feature like this available for Shorts, make sure to sign up for it to make it known to the powers that it’s worth keeping.

According to Search Engine Land Google is about to do one of the most Googley things possible to the continuous scrolling feature found on Google Search results both on the desktop and mobile devices. Starting today, Google has removed users’ ability to continuously scroll through desktop Search results. Later this month, it will do the same thing and end infinite scrolling on mobile Search results.

Instead of continuous scrolling for Search results on the desktop, users will press a button that says “Next” at the bottom of the page to see more results. On mobile, the infinite scrolling will be replaced by a “More results” button. Google actually has a reason for making this change instead of dropping a feature for no reason at all, something that the company has often been accused of doing.

Google claims that by making this change, it will be able to deliver more search results faster instead of automatically loading search results that users haven’t requested and have no interest in seeing. Google also discovered that allowing infinite scrolling of search results didn’t result in higher satisfaction scores for Google Search. Continuous scrolling debuted on the desktop in December 2022 after starting on mobile search in October 2021.

Suppose you own a website and your site doesn’t appear on the first page of a search result. In that case, you now might see fewer visitors from Google Search since a user would have to make the decision to press the “Next” button on the desktop or the “More results” button on a phone to continue to see additional results beyond the first page. Or, desktop users can jump to a specific page using Google’s iconic pagination controls which allows a user to jump to pages one through 10 by tapping on the page number desired.

I have yet to notice any change to the desktop version of Google Search which continues to scroll continuously. As we said, the mobile version of Search is supposed to be updated before June comes to an end.

Time to update your contact pics as Google Messages now shows them bigger

Recently, we mentioned Google was experimenting with a long-press feature for peeking into RCS conversations. Now, apparently, this feature has been approved and is starting to roll out more widely.

According to a recent report, users can expand a contact’s profile photo by tapping on it in the main list. This action allows you to view a larger image of the selected contact, along with three shortcuts displayed at the bottom:

Message: You can start a conversation by messaging the contact. This shortcut might seem a bit odd since you can simply tap on the conversation without first selecting the contact’s profile picture.

Call: Dial the contact right away.
Info: Preview information quickly without fully opening the conversation.

The latest update also applies to group chats, but you won’t find the Call option there. To access features like Pinning, Archiving, Deleting, Blocking, and marking messages as read or unread, just long-press anywhere outside the profile picture of the contact you’re chatting with.

While it may not seem like a major overhaul, this update significantly enhances user experience. Previously, long-pressing a conversation only allowed bulk actions such as muting or deleting. With the ongoing rollout of this latest update, which might not be visible to all users yet, performing actions like placing a quick call is now much simpler.

In other recent updates, Google has begun rolling out a new user interface for content sharers on Google Messages. Moreover, the tech giant has expanded the Gemini feature in Google Messages to include all Android phones with 6GB of RAM or more.

June 25, 2024

Category: General