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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.

  • Vietnam Airlines postpones annual general meeting for 4th time

    Vietnam Airlines postpones annual general meeting for 4th time

    Vietnam Airlines has canceled its annual general meeting for a fourth time this year pleading “unfinished” preparations even as it continues to struggle with losses.

    The state-owned carrier informed the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange Monday that its meeting scheduled for Nov. 22 has been moved to Dec. 16.

    The AGM was first scheduled for June 20 but the company has been postponing it repeatedly.

    Public companies are required to hold their AGM within four to six months from the end of the financial year.

    In the first nine months of this year the company posted a loss of VND3.3 trillion (US$135.34 million) as against VND7.75 trillion in the same period last year.

    Its revenues were up 32% to VND68.09 trillion.

    Vietnam Airlines’ HVN shares have been restricted to trading in the afternoons only as a penalty for its delay in submitting its financial reports. They have plunged 21% this year to VND10,950.

  • Google Messages could be getting “Profiles” to share your information with other users

    Google Messages could be getting “Profiles” to share your information with other users

    Google has been reportedly working on a Profiles feature for its Messages application for several months. This feature appears to be a way for users to have their desired name, photo and other information attached to their contact card within the application.

    The “Profiles” feature was spotted in an APK teardown by 9to5Google, which helped identify more details on what it could do. According to this teardown, code was found in the latest beta version of Google Messages (v20231106_01_RC00) which describes Profiles as a way for users to “Choose your profile name & picture so people can recognize you.”

    The feature is still under development, but it appears that users will be able to create a profile with their name, photo, and other information. This profile could then be shared with other Messages users, so that they can easily identify each other in conversations.

    “Profiles” was originally spotted back in January as a preferences page in Android system settings, although the toggle was not functional when turned on. This suggested that Profiles could be a standalone feature that is managed by Google Messages, rather than being part of RCS.

    If Profiles are implemented, it is likely that they would appear at the top of conversations in Google Messages. I would speculate that tapping on a profile name or photo could then open a profile page with more information about the user that other users could then save to the corresponding contact card.

    Google has not yet announced a release date for the Profiles feature. However, given that it has been in development for several months and is now appearing in beta versions of the app, it will likely be released shortly.

    Google Messages Profiles have the potential to be a significant new feature that would improve the messaging experience for users. It will be interesting to see how Google implements Profiles and how it integrates them with other Messages features, such as RCS and group chats.

  • Gmail accounts inactive for two years are about to be deleted by Google

    Gmail accounts inactive for two years are about to be deleted by Google

    You might recall that back in May, Google said that Gmail accounts that have been inactive for two years would face deletion and get wiped off the face of this earth. Before making this announcement, Google used to erase the content stored in these seemingly forgotten accounts but would still allowed the Gmail account to remain active. Now, Google might be concerned with the extra security risk that accompanies abandoned Gmail accounts.

    Using an abandoned Gmail account to send and receive gmail containing personal data is not a good idea which is why Google would rather delete these accounts fully instead of wiping out the content and letting users continue to use the accounts. Per Android Authority, Google will begin deleting these accounts starting next month.

    While the clock is ticking down toward December, it is not too late to save an inactive Gmail account that you have. Otherwise, it will be tossed in the trash as though you never created it at all. To save your inactive Gmail account all you have to do is sign in and, well, use it. Here are some suggestions for things you can do to keep your Gmail account alive if you’re closing ion on two years of inactivity:

    • Watch YouTube.
    • Read an email.
    • Use Google Drive.
    • Use Google Search.
    • Use your Google sign-in to log into a third-party app.

    Speaking of YouTube, Google does have a process that it will use to delete the abandoned Gmail accounts and one thing that it will not do at this time is delete an unused Gmail account that has a YouTube video currently active. What it will do is start with Gmail accounts that were created and never used again.

    Google is only removing inactive personal Gmail accounts. Abandoned accounts belonging to companies or schools will not be deleted. Remember, those Gmail accounts that have withered on the vine for two years are the ones that Google is deleting.

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  • Waze launches new safety feature for drivers

    Waze launches new safety feature for drivers

    Waze announced this week that a new safety feature is now making its way to the navigation app’s users on both iOS and Android devices. The especially important new feature will allow drivers to see a road’s crash history before they start their journey.

    Unsurprisingly, the safety feature is powered by AI (artificial intelligence), but the Waze community does have a contribution in this too. According to Waze, the crash history alerts provided by its app combine historical crash data and important information about route.

    Depending on typical traffic levels, whether it’s a highway or local road, elevation, and more, a road can be more or less prone to crashes. Thankfully, Waze’s new feature takes into consideration all these aspects and provides you with an alert in case it decides that the road you are going to drive on is dangerous.

    The new safety feature has been implemented in a way that allows drivers to keep their eye on the road all the time, even when they receive an alert from the app. In fact, Waze announced that it has limited the number of alerts drivers see, and they aren’t shown at all on roads they regularly navigate.

    Crash history alerts should now be available for all Waze users on mobile, regardless of their location.

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  • Singapore Airlines to host AAPA’s 67th Assembly of Presidents

    Singapore Airlines to host AAPA’s 67th Assembly of Presidents

    Singapore Airlines (SIA) will host the 67th edition of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) Assembly of Presidents on 9 and 10 November 2023.

    The AAPA, which has 14 member airlines, is the trade association for scheduled international carriers based in the Asia Pacific region1.

    More than 200 delegates, attendees, and members of the media from around the world are expected at the Assembly, which will be held at Singapore’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

    Delegates from member airlines, including Chief Executive Officers and senior management, will be joined by representatives from key stakeholders such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Airports Council International (ACI), Singapore’s Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, as well as the wider aerospace and aviation community.

    Mr Chee Hong Tat, Singapore’s Acting Minister for Transport, will be the guest of honour at the opening session on Friday, 10 November 2023.

    This year’s theme, Sustainable Air Transport Growth in the Asia Pacific, underscores the importance of international air transport and the industry’s commitment to sustainability. The Assembly provides a platform to discuss the opportunities and challenges in the airline industry, and focus on developing a strategy for sustainable growth in the region.

    The Asia Pacific airline industry has rebounded from the impact of the pandemic, with the region’s passenger capacity reaching 77% of pre-pandemic levels in August 2023. This has helped to meet the robust demand for air travel, with international passenger traffic in the Asia Pacific doubling from a year before in August 2023 and expected to reach 80% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year.

    Mr Goh Choon Phong, CEO of Singapore Airlines, commented: “Deeper collaboration between airlines, as well as with our partners and stakeholders in the ecosystem, is critical for sustainable growth. This will help to ensure that future generations continue to enjoy the many benefits that aviation brings. We look forward to meaningful discussions that will help to lay the groundwork for an even brighter future for the Asia Pacific’s airline industry.”

    Mr Subhas Menon, Director General of the AAPA, added: “2023 is a watershed year for Asia Pacific aviation. Air travel is again charging ahead even as the broader global economy comes off the boil. As it looks to return to growth, the industry must navigate challenging geopolitical, economic and climate realities. Against this backdrop, and with the line-up of influential speakers, no doubt that this year’sAssembly of Presidents will deliver many provoking yet inspiring conversations.”

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  • WhatsApp for Android brings back Muted Updates and Channel Polls

    WhatsApp for Android brings back Muted Updates and Channel Polls

    WhatsApp, one of the world’s most popular instant messaging apps, is constantly rolling out new features and updates in an effort to improve the user experience. In the past week alone, the app’s developers have released two new beta updates on Android that introduce a couple of interesting features, including the return of Muted updates and the ability to create and share polls within Channels.

    As reported by WaBetaInfo, WhatsApp brought back Muted updates in version v2.23.24.11 of the Android beta app, which had disappeared from the main Updates tab following the arrival of Channels. Previously, users could still access Muted updates by tapping the three-dot menu in the Updates tab, but this was not as convenient as having them directly displayed in the main tab.

    Shortly after, v2.23.24.12 was released, which introduces the ability to create and share polls within Channels. This feature is similar to the polls feature that is already available in one-on-one and group chats, but with a few key differences.

    In order to prevent spamming and ensure that poll results are accurate, the feature within Channels are limited to one choice per user. Additionally, in order to protect privacy, Channel polls are also anonymous — meaning that no one can see who voted for what.

    The ability to create and share polls within Channels is a useful new feature that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as gathering feedback from community members or running contests and giveaways. Similarly, the return of Muted updates is a welcome change for users who prefer to keep their status updates muted. With this feature, users can easily view all of their muted status updates in one place without having to navigate through multiple menus.

    Unfortunately, as both of these features are currently only showing up for a limited amount of users using the beta app, and the WhatsApp beta program is currently — and almost always — full to capacity, it might be a bit until we see then both show up on the stable public app.

  • Singapore retail sales growth softens in September

    Singapore retail sales growth softens in September

    Singapore retail sales – excluding motor vehicles – were up only 0.5 percent year-on-year in September, a slowdown compared to the 4 per cent increase in August.

    According to the Department of Statistics Singapore, the total retail sales value was about US$2.5 billion, down 0.8 percent month over month on a seasonally adjusted basis. Online retail sales accounted for 15.2 percent of total sales value.

    By industry, sales of food & alcohol jumped 22.6 percent, followed by toiletries & medical goods (10.3 percent) and apparel & footwear (8.1 per cent).

    Retailers of computer & telecommunications equipment and furniture & household equipment recorded declines in sales of 12.7 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively.

    Sales of food & beverage services rose 6.9 percent yearly to US$726 million, following the 8.6 percent growth in August. Approximately 23 percent of this came from online sales.

    All industries within this sector posted sales growths, led by food caterers with a 24.1 percent increase.

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  • More global digital platforms pay taxes in Vietnam

    More global digital platforms pay taxes in Vietnam

    Seven four cross-border digital platforms, including Meta, Google, Netflix, and TikTok, have paid taxes of VND8.02 trillion (US$334.1 million) this year, more than double the amount last year.

    The General Department of Taxation said as of June some 57 had paid taxes, and urged others who had yet to declare and pay taxes to do so.

    Since March 2022, when the department’s electronic information portal for foreign service providers to pay taxes online easily was set up, a total of VND11.5 trillion has been paid.

    Also, 375 e-commerce platforms have provided tax authorities with information about organizations and individuals that did business through them.

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  • Instagram now rolling out option to add song lyrics to your Reels

    Instagram now rolling out option to add song lyrics to your Reels

    Instagram has been doubling down on its “Reels” strategy lately by launching new features that will hopefully entice users to use them more often. The latest of these features is the ability to add song lyrics when editing, just like you already can on “Stories.”
    The announcement was made today via the IG Updates and Meta channels on the app itself by both Instagram boss Adam Mosseri and CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg. The feature was added after the powers that be noticed that users were adding them manually to Reels.
    New feature alert We’re rolling out a way to add song lyrics when editing your reels, just like you can on Stories: tap , add a song, and swipe left to add lyrics. We’ve seen people manually add lyrics to reels, so hope this makes it easier to use music to express yourself. Working on more updates to get creative on reels, stay tuned. – Adam Mosseri via IG Updates channel on Instagram
    To add song lyrics when editing your Instagram Reels, tap on the music button, add a song, and then swipe left to add the lyrics for the song you added. The steps seem straightforward enough for anyone to follow.
    The ability to add song lyrics had been available on Instagram Stories for some time now, so it is unclear why it has taken so long to bring that same capability to Reels. For those not aware, Reels differ from Instagram Stories in that Reels are public, while Stories are only shown to your followers.

    However, Stories and Reels have never quite had feature parity, perhaps due to the more intimate nature of stories. That said, Instagram has continued to make Reels more feature-packed as they face increasing competition from competing platforms, such as TikTok.

    Most recently, Instagram also launched new tools to make it easy for its users to create new Reels, including a new and improved templates and a template browser that is organized by categories. This browser can help users find the appropriate template to their content as it is organized by Recommended, Trending, and Saved categories.
    We can expect more to come from Instagram as far as Reels are concerned, as promised by the company during the last update. New features should follow in the coming weeks, such as the ability to automatically add text and transitions that were used in a past reel.

     

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  • Google Assistant will now default to use Keep for your notes and shopping lists

    Google Assistant will now default to use Keep for your notes and shopping lists

    Google Assistant will now use Google Keep as its default (and only option) for new notes and shopping lists. This replaces the legacy note and list system the Assistant used in the past and the company already has a migration plan in place.

    Google updated an FAQ support article covering the subject, the migration process should be fairly straightforward, with no action necessary on the users’ part. This process will begin in November 2023, after which point Google Shopping List will redirect to Google Keep.
    This means that you will no longer be able to access your notes and lists from assistant.google.com/lists/mainview or shoppinglist.google.com. Instead, you must use Google Keep to access new and old lists created with the Assistant.
    However, there are a few edge cases where your notes and lists might not be moved, such as family notes created on Smart Displays that have a large amount of items or characters. In these rare cases where the notes or lists are not moved automatically, Google will have this data available for users to download through Google Takeout until May 1, 2024. Note that after this date, the data will be automatically deleted from Google’s servers.
    The migrated data will be available within the Google Keep app or site and will be noted by a chip that identifies them as notes or lists that were previously in the legacy system. You will also be able to use Google Assistant to manage your Google Keep data, but you will need to explicitly give the Assistant permission to do so. These permissions can be set from within the Google Assistant settings on your iOS or Android device where you will be able to designate Keep as your notes and lists provider.

    This change is part of Google’s ongoing effort to clean up old Assistant functionality and integrate it with Google Keep. Earlier this year, Google moved reminders to Google Tasks. Google also discontinued third-party Notes & Lists integration.

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  • Hong Kong retail surges

    Hong Kong retail surges

    Continued revival of inbound tourism and private consumption helped Hong Kong’s retail sales notch a 10th consecutive month of growth in September, though it was slower than in previous months, official data showed on Wednesday.

    Sales increased 13 percent year-on-year to $4.06 billion in September, the city government said, but the growth was the slowest pace since January, when it was at 6.9 percent.

    Retail sales rose by 13.7 percent in August and 16.7 percent in July.

    “Continued improvement in household income and the government’s various support initiatives, including the Night Vibes Hong Kong Campaign, should also provide support,” a government spokesman said, adding further recovery of visitor arrivals should benefit the retail sector.

    In volume terms, September retail sales increased 10.1 percent year-on-year. That compared with an 11 percent growth in August and a 14.2 percent rise in July.

    For the first nine months, retail sales value rose 18.6 percent year-on-year while volume grew 16.5 percent.

    Hong Kong’s economy grew 4.1 percent from a year earlier in the third quarter, data showed on Tuesday, accelerating from the 1.5 percent expansion in the second quarter and the 2.9 percent in the first, but missing the 5.2 percent median forecast of economists polled by Reuters.

    In August, the government revised up its economic growth forecast for 2023 to between 4.0 percent and 5.0 percent.

    Visitor arrivals for September were 2.77 million, bringing the total for the first nine months of 2023 to 23.32 million, according to Hong Kong Tourism Board preliminary data. That compared with last year’s 66,037 and 249,699, respectively, when China was still in the grip of Covid restrictions.

    The number of mainland Chinese visitors decreased to 2.16 million in September from 3.43 million in August, the data showed. That compared with 51,282 in September 2022.

    Sales of jewellery, watches, clocks and valuable gifts, which before the pandemic were mostly bought by mainland tourists, rose 27.3 percent year-on-year in September after a 57.2 percent
    jump in August, data showed.

    Sales of clothing, footwear and accessories grew 36.4 percent on the year in September after a 37.4 percent increase in August.

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  • Google Search can now help you ace that math or science homework

    Google Search can now help you ace that math or science homework

    Google Search is launching some new features to help you with math and science problems. These features include the ability to search for math and physics problems by typing them into the search bar or taking a picture of them using Google Lens.
    You can now add this to my list of things I wish were a thing when I was going to school: Google is now making Search and Lens even more helpful when it comes to solving word, geometry, and physics problems. Additionally you will be able to explore interactive 3D diagrams of biology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy topics.
    By just typing in your math problem into Search, you can now take advantage of Google’s new advanced math solver. Don’t know how you can even type in that intricate equation? No problem, because you can opt to instead use Lens to take a picture of it from your textbook or worksheet using Lens. Not only with Google solve it for you, but will actually teach you how to do it with step-by-step instructions.
    Another new feature is the ability to get help with word problems and geometry problems by using Google’s language models. Word problems can be particularly difficult for students, but Google Search can now solve them and throw in interactive diagrams and animations in the process.
    Finally, Google Search is now launching interactive 3D diagrams of biology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy topics. These diagrams allow users to explore complex scientific concepts in a more interactive and engaging way. For example, users can rotate and zoom in on 3D diagrams of molecules, cells, and planets.

    These new features are a significant step forward for Google Search, as they make it easier for people to find the information they need about math and science. Additionally, they are designed to help students get some extra help getting some assignments done more interactively and engagingly.

  • Google Maps update brings Immersive View for routes to select cities

    Google Maps update brings Immersive View for routes to select cities

    Google continues to upgrade key features of its app with the help of the AI. Previously announced at Google I/O this year, the AI-powered feature called “Immersive View for routes” is now available in select cities on both Android and iOS devices.

    With Immersive View for routes, Google Maps users will be able to see every segment of a route before they start driving, walking or cycling. Google’s new feature uses AI “to fuse billions of Street View and aerial images together to create a rich, digital model of the world.”

    Instead of seeing a flat route on your screen, you’re now immersed in a multidimensional experience that not only allows you to visualize every segment of a route, but also bike lanes, sidewalks, intersections, as well as parking.

    Starting today, Immersive View routes is available in the following cities around the world: Amsterdam, Berlin, Dublin, Florence, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Paris, Seattle, San Francisco, San Jose, Tokyo, and Venice.

    In addition to bringing Immersive View for routes to select cities, Google announced deeper Lens integration for more accurate navigation. Maps users can now tap the Lens icon in the search bar and lift their phone to find information about nearby ATMs, transit station, restaurants, coffee shops and stores.

    Starting this week, deeper Lens integration is coming to more than 50 new cities including Austin, Las Vegas, Rome, Sao Paolo and Taipei.

    Last but not least, EV drivers on Android and iOS will now see more helpful charging station information starting this week. That includes whether a charger is compatible with their vehicle and whether available chargers are fast, medium, or slow. This feature will start rolling out globally on Android and iOS this week wherever EV charging station info is available.

  • Amazon books 244 per cent surge in net income

    Amazon books 244 per cent surge in net income

    Amazon has delivered a stunning 244 percent growth in third-quarter net income as – in the words of one analyst – it overrides the slight slowdown impacting the wider US consumer economy.

    The e-commerce giant booked a net income of $9.9 billion during the third quarter of FY23, which GlobalData MD Neil Saunders attributes to efficiencies the management implemented, such as responding to concerns of overcapacity and the reorganization of the fulfillment network to both reduce costs and improve services for customers.

    “It is very easy to look on these things as obvious steps after they have been implemented, but the level of thinking and planning required to implement them is very high and is a testament to Amazon’s entrepreneurial zeal and spirit,” said Saunders.

    “One of the factors that makes Amazon less susceptible to some of the challenges in the economy is that it has become a reliable and important partner to many in the consumer sector. When it becomes more difficult to reach customers and shoppers become a little more reticent to spend, many companies turn to Amazon and its various solutions from advertising to seller services.”

    Amazon reported a 13 percent increase in net sales to $143.1 billion, as sales grew 11 per cent to $87.9 billion in the North American segment and jumped 16 percent to $32.1 billion in the international segment.

    Its cloud service AWS reported an increase in sales of 12 percent to $23.1 billion.

    “We had a strong third quarter as our cost to serve and speed of delivery in our stores business took another step forward, our AWS growth continued to stabilize, our Advertising revenue grew robustly, and overall operating income and free cash flow rose significantly,” said Andy Jassy, Amazon CEO.

    For the fourth quarter, Amazon forecasts net sales of between $160 billion and $167 billion.

  • Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and Apple TV+ get more expensive

    Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and Apple TV+ get more expensive

    In an unsurprising move, Apple confirmed this week that it has increased the prices of three of its subscription-based services: Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and Apple TV+.

    Apple didn’t really offer any reason for the price hikes, but it’s probably related to global inflation. Not to mention that just about every streaming service in the United States announced price increases in the last couple of months.

    We are focused on delivering the best experiences possible for our customers by consistently adding high-quality entertainment, content, and innovative features to our services.

    That being said, if you’re living in the United States, here is how much you’ll have to pay for either of the three services mentioned above:

    • Apple TV+: $9.99 per month (was $6.99)
    • Apple Arcade: $6.99 per month (was $4.99)
    • Apple News+: $12.99 per month (was $9.99)

    It’s also worth mentioning that customers who’d rather subscribe to Apple TV+ on an annual basis will now have to pay $99 per year instead of just $69.

    Customers who are paying for all three services via the Apple One bundle are not excluded from the price increases. All Apple One bundles are now more expensive as you can see below:

    • Individual: $19.95 per month (was $16.95)
    • Family: $25.95 per month (was $22.95)
    • Premier: $37.95 per month (was $32.95)

    If you’re living in Europe, MacGeneration has all the new prices for Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and Apple TV+. The price changes should take effect immediately for new customers, while current subscribers will have 30 more days to decide whether or not they wish to continue to pay for any of Apple’s services.

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