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  • Unilever’s new New Zealand chief finally takes his office

    Unilever’s new New Zealand chief finally takes his office

    Unilever New Zealand MD Cameron Heath will relocate to take up the new role with his team this month after nearly six months of managing the role remotely.

    His predecessor, Nick Bangs, will move to Sydney to take on the role of GM, home, beauty and personal care for Unilever Australia and New Zealand.

    Heath spent seven years working as GM Baltics with Unilever in Latvia and four years as marketing director food & beverages in Prague. Prior to that, he worked at Procter & Gamble for seven years, taking responsibility for customer development and category strategy roles, including time working in the New Zealand market.

    Heath said Unilever’s commitment aligns with his personal goal to care of the health of the planet and create a fairer, more diverse, and equitable world.

    “As one of the world’s largest producers of consumer goods, we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to do more good for our planet, not just less harm,” said Heath.

    With 15 years in the FMCG industry, Heath has experience in marketing and category management, so he understands and has awareness of the challenges that lie ahead for the consumer goods sector.

    “I understand first-hand the pressure retailers and consumers are facing as we deal with supply-chain disruption and increased cost of production across the board,” he added.

    Cameron Heath started his role remotely last November and will join his team in New Zealand this month.

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  • Roku adds important new streaming service, but you’ll have to pay for it

    Roku adds important new streaming service, but you’ll have to pay for it

    Roku has been adding a bucketload of new channels since the beginning of the year, so it’s probably “unusual” to report about a single service being added to the streaming platform. Still, this is quite an important streaming service for those who want to stay in the loop with the latest news.

    Starting this week, Roku users can access content offered through CNN+, the subscription streaming from CNN. Although the new service doesn’t come for free, the fact that the option is there should be good enough.

    In case you didn’t know CNN+ offers about 8-12 live daily shows, new CNN+ Original Series and a library of more than 1,000 hours of programming from the CNN Original Series and CNN Films teams. Subscribers also get access to the streamer’s Interview Club feature on desktop, mobile and tablets, which houses a passionate community.

    • 7:00 AM ET: 5 Things with Kate Bolduan
    • 8:00 AM ET: Go There
    • 9:00 AM ET: Big Picture with Sara Sidner
    • 11:00 AM ET: Reliable Sources Daily
    • 4:00 PM ET: The Source with Kasie Hunt
    • 5:00 PM ET: The Global Brief with Bianca Nobilo
    • 6:00 PM ET: Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?
    • 7:30 PM ET: The Newscast with Wolf Blitzer
    Of course, to get access to the robust content offering available on CNN+, you have to pay either $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. The good news is a 7-day free trial is available via the Roku channel store for those who want to try it before becoming subscribers.
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  • Everything You Need to Know About Luggage Storage in Victoria Station

    Everything You Need to Know About Luggage Storage in Victoria Station

    Every year, billions of people travel to destinations across the world in search of new experiences and culture. Which means that billions of luggages carrying precious cargo are also making rounds globally. Sometimes, however – well, more often than we’d like to admit –  plans don’t go according to plan

    Last minute changes to your travel itinerary can be frustrating, especially if you’ve been traveling for long hours and you’ve received the unfortunate news that somewhere along the way, your precious luggage has been lost or worse, stolen.

    If you’ve ever lost or have become separated from your luggage, you know what a frustrating experience this can be. Not only does this means you’ve got to buy a whole new wardrobe – and luggage – it also means that many personal and sentimental items may never be seen again.

    How to Keep Your Luggage Safe When Traveling

    Imagine the power to find reputable locations to store your luggage in the palm of your hand. Well, your phone. That’s what a new app-based company that calls itself the largest luggage storage network in the world is aiming to do.

    With locations spread across the world, and in the most popular travel destinations, this company offers a secure pay-per-item daily storing rate to keep you moving. And if you’re traveling to London, you’re in luck because they’ve got multiple locations for luggage storage in Victoria Coach Station.

    After downloading the app on your phone you can move around anywhere in Victoria Coach Station and locate safe and secure luggage storage locations near you. Then, you can book your reservation completely online, unburdening you from the hassle of having to lug your bags when your travel plans don’t always sync up.

    Visiting Victoria Coach Station in Westminster

    Victoria Coach Station in Westminster happens to be the second busiest terminus in London, welcoming more than 74 million annual passengers. With multiple shops and dining options located inside, waiting for your connecting train by never stepping outside the station is definitely an option. But why would you with so many points of interests nearby?

    Westminster and surrounding Whitehall are  home to some of the most decadent and impressive government entities and attractions in London. Buckingham Palace. Big Ben. Sound Familiar? So whether your travels take you here on purpose or by accident, you can relax knowing luggage storage in Victoria Coach Station is available to keep your stuff safe while you’re out and about exploring.

    Nearby Attractions in Westminster and Whitehall, London

    If you’re traveling to this part of London, you’re going to want to prepare yourself for a day of walking. The Westminster and Whitehall boroughs of London are home to the elite of government society and it boasts some of the most iconic and decadent architecture of the land.

    Here are some nearby attractions you can visit:

    Trafalgar Square

    Featuring a central focal point called Nelson’s Column that towers 170 ft. above and flanked by an entourage of bronze lion statues and fountains, Trafalgar Square is a central public square frequented by locals and tourists alike. A great location to sit and rest, the neverending cityscape of vehicles and bustle of people provides a great backdrop for a midday lunch or coffee break.

    National Gallery

    This museum of visual arts boasts more than 2,300 paintings that represent a melting-pot of Italian, Spanish, French, and British artists. A look at all those paintings will take a couple of hours and with free guided tours to keep you enthralled, it’s a better option than staying at the station.

    House Guards

    If you opt for a presentational flair, then Changing of the Guard offers a spectacle of the military and coordinated kind. Featuring two sentries of the Queen’s Household Cavalry on horseback, the ceremony

    Big Ben

    Who can forget an iconic image such as Big Ben? The bell tower next to Westminster House, Britain’s parliamentary buildings, offers a great photo opportunity for any tourist.

    Westminster Abbey

    The esteemed and historic location of the coronation of many kings and queens, Westminster Abbey symbolizes much of Britain’s history.

    The next time you visit London, head down to Victoria Coach Station where you can safely store your luggage and walk outside to bask and take a look back at London’s history.

     

     

     

     

     

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  • Mercedes-Benz Accelerates In-House Software Push With New Tech Centre

    Mercedes-Benz Accelerates In-House Software Push With New Tech Centre

    Mercedes-Benz opened a new 200 million euro ($217 million) software center in Sindelfingen on Friday, its latest investment in boosting in-house software capabilities as it works to bring its own MB.OS operating system onto the market by 2024.

    Around 750 of the 3,000 new hires, the luxury carmaker plans to bring in globally to develop the operating system were hired in Sindelfingen, working on features from in-vehicle entertainment to autonomous driving.

    The center is part of a wider effort by Mercedes-Benz to streamline its software strategy from a patchwork approach bringing in technology from a wide range of suppliers to controlling the core of its software offering itself.

    “We take responsibility for software architecture and integration – that is our main goal,” Chief Software Officer Magnus Oestberg said in a roundtable.

    “We don’t do everything ourselves – we place value on partnerships, but of course the parts that are most important for us, we do in-house.”

    One such partnership is with U.S. computer graphics specialist Nvidia, with whom Mercedes-Benz struck a deal in 2020 to develop assisted and self-driving functions that will form part of the MB.OS system launching in two years time.

    The carmaker is 600 unfilled vacancies away from achieving its goal of a global team of 10,000 software engineers in Berlin, China, India, Israel, Japan, and the United States.

    “The profile of a software engineer is highly sought-after – demand is considerably higher than supply,” Chief Technology Officer Markus Schaefer said.

    In a survey of 572 auto executives by research institute Capgemini, 97% said that four out of 10 in-house workers will need to have software skills within five years, from IT architects to cloud management professionals to cybersecurity experts.

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  • YouTube TV brings picture-in-picture (PiP) feature to devices running iOS 15+

    YouTube TV brings picture-in-picture (PiP) feature to devices running iOS 15+

    YouTube confirmed back in February that it will bring picture-in-picture to YouTube TV on iOS devices. At that time, YouTube’s officials didn’t provide an ETA nor any details about what devices will be available with PiP.

    One month after the initial announcement, YouTube TV confirmed that picture-in-picture is now rolling out to iOS 15+ devices. As to why this feature is only available on iOS 15+ devices, your guess is just as good as ours, but since Apple typically keeps all its iPhones and iPads up to date, it’s only the older devices (older than iPhone 6s) that won’t have access to this specific feature.

    Picture-in-picture works with both on demand and live TV content, so you won’t have to worry about that. To use it, simply select a video that you wish to watch and swipe up from the bottom of the screen to return to the device’s homepage. As soon as you do that, the video will scale down and move across the screen.

    It’s unclear if the feature is available right now to everyone or YouTube TV has decided to go for a staged rollout. Either way, iOS users should start seeing picture-in-picture on their phones and tablets very soon.

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  • Kerry Logistics Network posts 102% growth in Core Net Profit

    Kerry Logistics Network posts 102% growth in Core Net Profit

    Kerry Logistics Network Limited (‘Kerry Logistics Network’ or together with its subsidiaries, the ‘Group today announced the Group’s annual results for 2021.

    Group’s Financial Highlights

    • Revenue (including revenue generated from discontinued operations) increased by 53% to HK$81,771 million (2020: HK$53,361 million)
    • Core operating profit increased by 88% to HK$6,229 million (2020: HK$3,320 million)
    • Core net profit increased by 102% to HK$3,692 million (2020: HK$1,828 million)
    • Profit attributable to the Shareholders was HK$7,939 million (2020: HK$2,896 million), which represents a year-on-year growth of 174%
    • Integrated Logistics (IL) business recorded a segment profit of HK$1,868 million (2020: HK$2,642 million), which represents a decrease of 29%, partly due to the disposal of the Group’s Hong Kong Warehouse and the Taiwan businesses during the year
    • International Freight Forwarding (IFF) business recorded a segment profit of HK$4,860 million (2020: HK$993 million), which represents a growth of 389%
    • Proposed final dividend of 50 HK cents per Share, to be payable on Wednesday, 8 June 2022

    William MA, Group Managing Director of Kerry Logistics Network, said, “In 2021, supply and demand mismatch, logistics bottlenecks, congested ports, labour shortage and pandemic related lockdowns and measures continued to cause endless disruptions in the global supply chain. Thanks to the unwavering support from our colleagues and partners, we managed to deliver efficient and consistent services to our customers in the face of complex and relentless challenges. We achieved a record-high revenue of HK$81.8 billion and a core net profit of HK$ 3.7 billion in 2021.”

    IL Shrank

    The segment profit of KLN Group’s IL business did not grow in line with the other segment, mainly due to a weak Asian market brought about by a series of prolonged lockdowns and other pandemic measures across Southeast Asia, severely disrupting both manufacturing and consumption related activities, as well as the required disposal of the Group’s Hong Kong Warehouse and businesses in Taiwan.

    In Hong Kong, the Group’s IL business reported a 14% contraction, with logistics operations decreasing by 4%. This was mainly due to the disposal of warehouses in Hong Kong at end-September 2021 as well as the implementation of pandemic-induced social distancing measures which has caused a depression in particular retail activities.

    In the Mainland of China, the Group’s IL business grew by 33%, mainly from the increase of manufacturing activities as purchase orders shifted back to the Mainland from many Asian countries, boosting its production and export of both components and finished products.

    In Asia, the IL division went down by a large extent. This was mainly due to prolonged lockdowns across many countries in Asia, which depressed manufacturing activities. Furthermore, pricing pressure and fierce competition experienced by Kerry Express Thailand in Thailand have also impacted on the Group’s results. The Group is expected to reclaim its dominance in key Asian markets, where profitability will gain traction starting in 2022 2H.

    Strategic Partnership with S.F. Holding

    KLN Group’s strategic partnership with S.F. Holding will give it an unparallelled advantage as Asia’s largest 3PL provider to tackle the uncertain market challenges ahead. The two parties are already collaborating in the Mainland of China to serve S.F. Holding’s clients’ overseas business needs. By 2022 Q2, KLN Group will serve as the exclusive cargo General Sales Agent (GSA) for S.F. Airlines, as well as the principal service provider outside the Mainland of China for S.F. Holding’s international express business, firmly establishing KLN Group’s position as S.F. Holding’s international arm.

    William Ma concluded, “The complex dynamic system of the global supply chain will remain sensitive to an array of different pandemic responses and measures as well as geopolitics. International freight will face another year of price, volume and capacity volatility. Inflationary pressures and material shortages along the supply side will continue to disrupt global trade for a prolonged period. Although onshoring and reshoring have been discussed widely, it is highly likely that Asia, the manufacturing base of the world, will continue to hold its ground in the next five years. KLN Group and S.F. Holding’s strategic cooperation has opened a new page for both sides. Unique yet competitive service offerings have been co-developed through the ongoing business and operation integrations. As the world is moving faster and further away from the pre-COVID market conditions, we are confident that the new KLN Group is empowered to advance through it.”

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  • Google should have won a “Best use of technology” Oscar for this moving ad

    Google should have won a “Best use of technology” Oscar for this moving ad

    Besides Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock across the face for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head (she suffers from alopecia, an autoimmune disease that can lead to hair loss), another takeaway from last night’s Academy Awards telecast was Apple’s “CODA” becoming the first movie from a streaming service to win Best Picture.

    But Google had its moment too. During the show, it advertised an app called “Look to Speak.” The app, which was released in 2020, helps those with debilitating conditions, such as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, communicate. The app uses a phone’s front-facing selfie camera to track a user’s eyes as they move from left to right selecting words and phrases that the phone reads aloud.

    Google’s 60-second ad, titled “A Look Can Say A Lot,” starts by focusing on the eyes of various people including an infant. “A look can be honest and true,” Google says, adding that “A look can speak for you.”

    The ad then shows the app and how it works. There are two sentences on the display, one on the left and the other on the right. Looking to the left, the phone will say “It’s great to see you.” Looking to the right, the phone will say, “How are you?” Again, the user determines which of the two sentences are read by the phone by moving his eyes to the left or the right.

    The app is shown to a woman named Antoinette Fernandes who has speech and motor impairments due to ALS. The look on her face when she realizes that she can use the app and her eyes to communicate what she wants to say is priceless.

    You can download the app from the Google Play Store on any Android handset running Android 9 or later. For those who feel the need to put down technology or think that smartphones are a waste of time and money, just take another glimpse at the look on Antoinette’s face as she realizes that despite her physical condition, she can communicate with other people.

    Another video that had been released last November titled “Look To Speak” takes us through Antoinette’s story. In 2019 she was diagnosed with ALS. Unable to communicate, she was feeling suicidal according to her daughter who is her caregiver. The daughter used to say letters and when she hit upon the right one, Antoinette would confirm by making noise and this method allowed her to get her thoughts across albeit in a slow, time-consuming way.

    Apple might have won Best Picture, but Google takes the Oscar for best use of technology. If you know someone with ALS or has trouble communicating, tell them about the free “Look to Speak” app.

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  • Ads on Facebook are starting to recover from Apple’s App Tracking Transparency effect

    Ads on Facebook are starting to recover from Apple’s App Tracking Transparency effect

    Recently, Facebook has been struggling with its market share as it predicted a $10 billion loss in revenue due to Apple’s App Tracking Transparency. However, the company might be starting to recover its ad revenue.

    For those of you who don’t know, with iOS 14.5, Apple introduced a feature dubbed App Tracking Transparency (ATT), which allowed iPhone and iPad users to opt-out of tracking of their activity for targeted ads. Before this change, apps could track you across websites in order to offer you relevant ads, but Apple’s feature prevented that. And, as you can imagine, a vast majority of iOS users decided they didn’t want to be tracked.

    Facebook was among the companies that vocally disagreed with ATT, accusing Apple of harming small businesses with the move. And, as we could see later, Facebook ended up suffering quite a lot from ATT, and its ad revenue dropped significantly.

    As nothing is without consequence in this world, Facebook’s share value then plummeted because investors started selling their Facebook stock.

    However, things seem to be starting to improve, at least according to some small businesses owners on Facebook or Instagram. Many small businesses are claiming that their ads are performing better than usual. The reason for this change is… surprise, surprise – unknown at the moment.

    Earlier, Meta stated that it is working on adapting its advertisement systems to the new situation, so they can maximize the performance of ads. At the same time, many advertisers are reportedly still skeptical, but Meta seems to be working hard to maintain the improvement.

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  • Twitter now lets you search your direct messages

    Twitter now lets you search your direct messages

    Good news for all people who like to track their online history to the last letter of the last message. Twitter has rolled out a new feature in its DM search bar, which allows you to search for specific messages using keywords.

    The search option has been present for quite some time but up until now it only allowed users to find a specific person or a group chat. With the latest improvement, Twitter allows people to granulate their searches and find content in their message history.

    We know you’ve been waiting for the option to search your DMs. Now you can use the search bar in your inbox to find specific messages using keywords and names.

    The new feature has been added to the Twitter mobile app – when you type something in the search bar at the top of your inbox, you’ll see additional filtering options – people, groups, or messages. If you chose messages, then the search will return DMs containing that particular keyword.

    This new search option can go way back in time and return results from up to three years in the past. However, it seems that this is the threshold, and older messages won’t appear in the results.

    Twitter keeps on adding interesting new features, last month the company added the option to tip creators with Ethereum, and back in November last year, Twitter started showing previews for Instagram links.

  • Google improves its search criteria for product reviews

    Google improves its search criteria for product reviews

    You’ve probably been in a situation where you’ve been looking to buy a new smartphone and have been constantly searching for reviews in order to decide if this phone is worth your hard-earned cash. Apparently, Google understands how important product reviews are to potential buyers. It recently improved its search engine to display more relevant reviews for potential buyers to easily decide if they want to buy a product or not.

    From now on, for Google Search to show reviews as search results, Google will be looking to see if product reviews meet certain criteria. According to a blog post from Google, Google Search will now look for product reviews to:

    • Include detailed information that will assist potential consumers in understanding all of the product’s pros and cons.
    • Come from people who have really used the products they’re talking about and can show what the product looks like and how to use it.
    • Include additional helpful information that manufacturers don’t provide, such as additional photos, audio, or links to other content that shows the reviewer’s experience with the product.
    • Include product comparisons or explain how a certain product differs from its rivals.

    Google’s new search criteria for product reviews currently only work if you search in English. But Google stated that it would expand these new criteria to other languages as well. In this regard, Google said, “Ultimately, our goal is to help people find trustworthy, reliable advice when they come to Search — no matter what they’re looking for.”

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  • Cebu Pacific Equips Airbus A330neo fleet with SITA Swiftbroadband Cockpit Connectivity

    Cebu Pacific Equips Airbus A330neo fleet with SITA Swiftbroadband Cockpit Connectivity

    Cebu Pacific Air, the Manila, Philippines-based low cost airline, will equip its fleet of Airbus A330neo aircraft with an upgraded form of SITA for Aircraft’s AIRCOM cockpit connectivity technology with Swiftbroadband-Safety (SB-S).

    The AIRCOM connectivity is being factory-installed on a fleet of 16 new A330neos from an Airbus order first placed by Cebu Pacific in 2019, that now also includes a Flight Hour Services (FHS) materials management contract signed by the two companies during the 2022 Singapore Air Show last month. SITA first signed a global connectivity services distribution agreement with Inmarsat in 2017 to start leveraging Swiftbroadband-Safety within its suite of cockpit communication applications that it now brands as AIRCOM Cockpit Services.

    SB-S is Inmarsat’s Aircraft Communication, Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) over Internet Protocol (IP) networking technology that permits previous aircraft data transmissions solely done over the legacy ACARS network to be done faster and cheaper using IP as a gateway for air-to-ground and aircraft-to-controller data transmissions and messaging.

    Sumesh Patel, President of Asia Pacific, SITA, said in a statement that “Cebu Pacific is the first airline to take advantage of these capabilities to boost safety and deliver greater operational efficiencies on their new fleet.”

    Three specific connection types are provided over SB-S, including character-based ACARS data services for Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Contract (ADS-C) and Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC). ADS-C, CPDLC, real-time prison reporting, and flight data streaming along with aircraft performance data downloads can also be provided over the SB-S prioritized IP channel. Additionally, the regular IP channel can be used as a voice and data communication channel for Airline Administrative Control (AAC) and Airline Operations Center (AOC) applications.

    According to SITA, some of the specific applications Cebu Pacific can use on AIRCOM with SB-S that are not enabled without Swiftbroadband include real-time updates for flight optimization tools and graphical weather applications.

    The SITA cockpit connectivity agreement for Cebu Pacific comes following the airline’s announcement earlier this month that it will begin expanding its domestic network, including re-starting flights to Siargao, Surigao, and Calbayog after closing those and many other routes due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions.

    Cebu Pacific received its first A330neo in December and now has two of the 459-seat aircraft in its fleet. Mike Szucs, Chief Executive Adviser at Cebu Pacific, expects every Airbus model aircraft in its fleet to feature the new engine option variant by 2027.

    “We turned to SITA given their expertise in the aircraft domain to help us navigate the challenges and complexities of the aircraft communications landscape, and prepare us for that future,” Javier Massot, Chief Operations Adviser, Cebu Pacific Air, said in a statement. “Having high-speed connectivity and greater capacity is essential to access more advanced digital applications that support decision-making onboard. It will enable our pilots and operational staff to access information in real-time and deliver a better service for our passengers.”

  • High costs drive consumer prices up

    High costs drive consumer prices up

    The prices of many consumer goods, especially food and foodstuffs, have skyrocketed in the first quarter of this year driven by higher input costs and record gasoline prices. At her local retail store last weekend, Loan, a worker in a garment factory in HCMC’s District 12, could not hide her surprise at the sudden increase in the prices of many goods.

    “I estimated the prices of many consumer goods like sugar, milk, cooking oil, instant noodles, fish sauce, and beer had increased by 10-30 percent since the beginning of this year,” she said.

    She now has to pay VND500,000 ($22) to buy seasoning for half a month compared to VND400,000 earlier.

    “Other living expenses have also gone up.”

    The value-added tax was cut to 8 percent from 10 percent on Feb. 1, but many consumers said they “have yet to feel its impact” since the prices of many goods have risen sharply. Many retailers are also surprised by the price hikes. Ngoc, owner of a retail stall in HCMC’s Go Vap District, said the prices of beer, sugar, instant noodles, fish sauce, and cooking oil have increased by 10 percent this year.

    “Consumer goods prices rarely increase in the first quarter. After Lunar New Year (Tet) holidays in early February, businesses often reduce prices to stimulate demand since demand is weak”.

    Ngoc has yet to restock her stall, but the wholesaler who supplies her has announced a hike in prices during the next delivery because many manufacturers have already increased them. A survey found that the prices of eight of the nine main consumer products have surged, with seven of them seeing a double-digit increase. Saying input costs have increased by 120 percent in the last 12 months, a spokesperson for a cooking oil company added they had to raise prices by VND1,000-2,000.

    Breweries also cited costs as a reason to hike prices. Wheat prices have risen by 10-20 percent since the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, two of the world’s biggest wheat exporters, began. The chief of a HCMC-based consumer goods producer said labor and raw materials costs have soared by 40 percent since last year and they have been forced to adjust prices up.

    Acecook, the country’s leading instant noodles producer, said it has had to hike prices by 10 percent since input and transportation costs have risen. Other businesses said they have yet to raise their prices but it is “inevitable”. Truong Chi Thien, head of egg producer Vfood, said his company is losing VND100-200 on every egg it sells.

    It has yet to increase prices because of a commitment under HCMC’s price stabilization program to keep prices unchanged for a month before and after Tet, which this year fell on Feb. 1. Thien said his firm would have to seek approval from the city Department of Finance to hike prices in the next stabilization program starting April.

    The prices of other items like wood and steel also rose to new highs recently. Steel prices have gone up by nearly 8 percent in the last two weeks to over VND19 million per ton, which is higher than the VND18.3 million reached last year. Vietcombank Securities forecast its prices to keep rising as energy prices surge amid the Ukraine conflict.

    VnDirect Securities said global commodities prices are at a 14-year peak. The S&P GSCI Index, the benchmark for commodity prices, has gone up by 5.02 percent this month, it said. Rising oil prices have driven metal prices up, with aluminum rising by 3.6 percent to a new peak of US$3,850 per ton on the London Metal Exchange, it said. Iron ore futures are 15 percent up, the highest in over three months, it added. It said commodities prices will continue to increase, putting inflation risks on the global and Vietnam market.

  • WhatsApp for iOS has a new Contact Info page in the works

    WhatsApp for iOS has a new Contact Info page in the works

    Okay, WhatsApp is looking for ways to further enhance the user experience in its app, and there are many changes coming to the app sooner or later (many of which are currently in beta testing).About one such change the app will be bringing: a revamped Contact Info page, coming to WhatsApp for iOS.

    The redesigned Contact Info page is currently only for WhatsApp on iOS, and it has been rolled out to beta testers. The page is similar to what the app did with Business accounts, but now, it is for personal accounts. The changed Contact Info page was spotted by WABetaInfo with version 22.6.0.73 for WhatsApp for iOS.

    As we already mentioned, this look is still in beta, so it is not available to the general public as of now. Usually, WhatsApp takes its time to release new features, but currently, there isn’t an official timeline as to when this update will be made available to everyone.

    The new Contact Info page brings larger buttons for calls, as well as a new search message shortcut. For Business accounts, there is also a page dubbed Business Info there, which is, quite understandably, not available for personal WhatsApp accounts.

    Interestingly enough, according to WABetaInfo, some users can get access to the revamped Contact Info page even if they are not a part of the beta testers, which means, that for some, it is available on the stable version of the app (including WhatsApp Business users).

    Another useful feature that WhatsApp is planning to implement, specifically for Businesses, is called “Businesses Nearby”, and as its name suggests, it will be able to help you find nearby businesses such as restaurants, grocery stores, shops for clothes, and others.

    And on top of that, WhatsApp is also currently working on its Community feature, something that was previewed by WABetaInfo in November of last year. It is basically a new place where group admins will have control over WhatsApp groups, pretty much helpful if you have many WhatsApp groups and want to have a more simple way to group them together and organize them.

    The company has been working on a lot of new features recently, which are aimed at adding value to the popular chat app. Of course, as the name suggests, the poll feature will allow you to create polls (we don’t know with how many options as of yet), in order to check out the group’s opinion on something or just carry out a regular voting session.

    The poll option will be available only for WhatsApp groups, and it will be end-to-end encrypted, including the answers the other users give to it. As many of you may probably know, end-to-end encryption is something WhatsApp is quite popular with, and it will be present for the poll feature as well. This pretty much means only the people in the group will be able to get access to the poll and its results.

    And as this is a feature in its beta testing period, an official release date is not announced for it yet. As usual, beta testers will get to see how this feature works first, as WhatsApp works to get rid of any bugs and improve on it before it launches it for the general public.

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  • Russia-Ukraine crisis cuts Vietnam’s seafood exports

    Russia-Ukraine crisis cuts Vietnam’s seafood exports

    Vietnamese exporters of seafood to Russia and Ukraine are in trouble, with some reporting double-digit percentage declines as the military confrontation between the two countries continue.

    Five Vietnamese catfish exporters to Russia have reported a year-on-year drop in export value by 29.8 percent to $2.18 million in January, according to data from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

    This is a contrast to a 72.5 percent increase in exports value last year to Russia. Vietnam was Russia’s third biggest importer of catfish last year, behind Argentina and China.

    “Since the beginning of the year, and especially after Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, export of catfish to this market has faced disruptions and challenges,” VASEP said in a report.

    Catfish exporters say that the 30 percent plunge in the ruble has made buyers unwilling to pay for their orders. Payment processes have also become difficult as a result of Western nations’ sanctions on Russia.

    Shipping has also become a challenge with transport firms not accepting orders to Russia, given the high chances of having the goods seized on the way.

    Vietnamese catfish exporters have stopped signing new orders to Russia even though importers still want to buy.

    Meanwhile, Vietnamese shrimp exporters have reported a year-on-year decline of 23 percent in Russia exports value to $3.3 million from January 1 to February 15.

    Exporters say there is no certainty that their shipment will be cleared to enter Russia and all transactions are facing difficulties.

    Russia and Ukraine are among the top 20 export markets for Vietnamese tuna, but exporters say several shipments have been returned amid the military conflict, and they are trying to find new markets now.

    Russia’s military operation in Ukraine has entered its 13th day with no rapid end in sight despite the multitude of sanctions that Western countries have imposed on Moscow.

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  • Google tests new feature for Gboard that delivers sticker recommendations based on text

    Google tests new feature for Gboard that delivers sticker recommendations based on text

    More than two years ago Google introduced Android users to the Emoji Kitchen. This feature delivers sticker recommendations that are the combination of two different emojis. Think of it this way, the emotions from one emoji are combined with the characteristics from a second emoji.

    The combinations are created by Google and are played strictly for laughs. What is interesting is how your Android phone decides which delicacies to serve you. These Emoji fusion stickers are based on the text you have been tapping out along with any emoji you selected for your missive.

    Now, Google is testing another new Gboard feature that presents users with sticker suggestions based on what they are writing. This time, the color and style of suggested stickers are based on the words and emoji you are entering into your text. Some Reddit users spotted the feature back in November but it remains in beta.

    Examples show a text exchange between spouses with one writing to the other “See you soon ” with a heart emoji. Underneath that field, where suggested words are, well, suggested, you will see a sticker. Tap on it and in that same location, horizontal scrolling sticker options will appear. Some have the exact text that you typed while others might not show any text at all.

    These contextually-based stickers appear to be available only when using this feature and do not show up when looking at the full library of emoji and stickers on your phone. With, the feature still in beta, if you’re using the public stable version of the app, you will not be able to use this feature yet.

    If you want to join the Gboard beta and get access to this feature now, you can Google “Gboard beta” and you should see a page that will allow you to join the beta program. You can leave the beta at any time by repeating the directions above and tapping on the box at the lower right corner that says “Leave The Program.”

    If you enjoy testing out new features for apps before the rest of the Android users on your block get to use them, Google has options for you. For a more comprehensive way to join the beta versions of all Android apps, go to the Google Play Store and tap the profile icon in the upper right corner. Tap on Manage apps & devices and then Installed. Tap on an app to get to its detail page and under “Join the beta,” tap on “Join” and then “Join.”

    If you don’t see an option to “join the beta,” it means that the developer is not offering public beta testing for that particular app. To return to a public or stable version of the app, open the Play Store and tap the profile icon. Go to Manage apps & devices and then Beta.

    Tap on the app whose beta program you want to leave to see its detail page and you’ll see a notice that you are a beta tester. Under the “You’re a beta tester” notice, tap on “Leave.” But that isn’t the end. If you want to continue using an app’s public version on Android after leaving the beta, uninstall the app and reinstall it from the Google Play Store.

    The point of offering beta tests is for the developer to get feedback from users before a new feature is disseminated to all users of a particular app. So if you do have feedback to share with a developer, once again you open the Play Store and tap on the profile icon followed by Manage apps & devices and then Beta. Tap on the app you want to provide feedback on to see its detail page.

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