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Tag: app

  • Google Assistant driving mode slowly rolling out to more countries

    Google Assistant driving mode slowly rolling out to more countries

    After introducing the Assistant Driving Mode in the United States last year, Google has decided that it’s finally time to make the feature available to users in other countries too. If you’re not living in the US, chances are that you don’t know what’s this Google Assistant Driving Mode.

    Google launched the Assistant Driving Mode as a replacement solution for Android Auto’s mode from smartphones. The feature is meant to allow drivers to get their notifications read to them out loud, so they can continue to drive without having to check their phones.

    Google Assistant’s driving mode can not only read messages to drivers, but it can also send messages and make calls for you. Not to mention that you’ll be able to control your music by simply using your voice.

    Currently, we know for sure that the Assistant’s driving mode is slowly rolling out to users in the UK, but it’s safe to assume that the feature will soon be available in other countries too. As per Google’s support page, some of the features of Assistant’s driving mode “aren’t available in all languages or countries,” whereas previously it stated that it’s only live in the US.

    Of course, Google Assistant’s driving mode is limited to just one language at the moment: English. As far as the hardware requirements go, you’ll need a smartphone powered by Android 9.0 or higher, which packs 4GB RAM or more. Also, Google’s Assistant driving mode only works in portrait mode.

  • Fake iOS app steals one million dollars in Bitcoins taking a victim’s life savings

    Fake iOS app steals one million dollars in Bitcoins taking a victim’s life savings

    You have to feel bad for a man named Phillipe Christodoulou. Looking for a place to store Bitcoins he owned that were valued at $600,000 at the time, he installed an app called Trezor Wallet from the Apple App Store, when Christodoulou opened the app looking to check his balance, he was stunned to discover that his 17.1 Bitcoins (now worth over $1 million) was gone.

    As it turned out, Trezor, which manufactures hardware cryptocurrency wallets, does not offer an iOS or Android app and had been complaining about the fake apps listed in the App Store and Play Store to no avail. Back in December, the company disseminated a tweet warning Android users that own a physical Trezor device that “This app is a scam and has no relation to SatoshiLabs and Trezor. We’ve already reported it to the Google team. Always confirm any action on your device and never type seed words until your Trezor asks you to.” Google did remove the Android version of the app in December.

    Seed words or a seed phrase is a list of words needed to recover Bitcoin funds “on-chain.” Anyone who knows the words can take ownership of the user’s Bitcoins so Trezor recommends that they must not be typed into a website and that seed words need to be guarded as fiercely as one would protect cash or jewels.

    While the bad actors that created the fake iOS and Android versions of the (non-existent) Trezor app stole $1 million in Bitcoins from Christodoulou, the victim is more upset with Apple. Once a loyal Apple customer, Christodoulou now says that Apple “betrayed the trust that I had in them. Apple doesn’t deserve to get away with this.”

    Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz says that “Study after study has shown that the App Store is the most secure app marketplace in the world.” However, you won’t get Meghan DiMuzio, executive director of the Coalition for App Fairness, to agree with the Apple spokesperson. DiMuzio, contradicting Sainz’ statement, said, “Apple frequently pushes myths about user privacy and security as a shield against its anti-competitive App Store practices. The truth is, Apple’s security ‘standards’ are inconsistently applied across apps and only enforced when it benefits Apple.”

    The 17.1 Bitcoins that were stolen represented Christodoulou’s life savings and right now there is no indication that he will be able to get that money back.

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  • Microsoft appears ready to add Dark Theme to its Office suite apps for Android

    Microsoft appears ready to add Dark Theme to its Office suite apps for Android

    Microsoft is adding Dark Theme to its Microsoft Office suite apps for Android. Dark Theme replaces the standard black text on a white background with white text on a black background. This reduces the strain on the user’s eyes, especially at night or in a dark room. And Dark Theme also can help save some battery life on a phone using an AMOLED panel. That’s because unlike LCD displays, AMOLED does not use a backlight and each pixel can be controlled individually.

    The color black is created on an AMOLED screen by turning off a pixel and such pixels don’t draw power from the battery. So with a black background, enough pixels are shut down to make a difference in how much power is being used by the screen.

    Paluzzi disseminated a tweet that included screenshots of Microsoft Word in Dark Theme. The tipster said that the same look will be used for PowerPoint and Excel. There will be three options for users to select, Light theme, Dark theme or System Default. The Light theme is the traditional white background with black text, Dark theme is the inverse, and System Default uses whichever theme you have set for your phone. A blank sheet in Word is white, even in Dark Theme. But Paluzzi says that this might change to black when the feature is rolled out.

    Microsoft had already added Dark Theme to several of its Android apps including OneDrive, Edge, Outlook, OneNote, and Remote Desktop, so it is no surprise that this capability is being rolled out for its Office suite app.

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  • Google finally updates the Gmail for iOS app after three months

    Google finally updates the Gmail for iOS app after three months

    Google finally released an update for its Gmail for iOS app on Monday. As you might recall, many of Google’s iOS apps have not been updated for iOS and it is thought that this was done on purpose to avoid having to add App Privacy labels to its apps. Starting on December 8th, any app updated in the App Store has to include its App Privacy Label. Located near the end of each app’s App Store listing, the App Privacy Label shows the data that an app can collect including the data that can be linked to the user’s identity. In the case of Gmail, this data includes Purchases, Location, Contact Info, Contacts, User Content, Search History, Identifiers, Usage Data, Diagnostics, and Other Data.

    Google is reportedly being shy about having the App Privacy Label posted for its most popular iOS apps after seeing the criticism Facebook received for posting its longer than average App Privacy Label. Google denied all of this last month and said that it would be updating its iOS apps within weeks. But many of its iOS apps have gone without a recent update and the lack of an update for Gmail resulted in iPhone users being sent a warning earlier this month noting that their Gmail app is out of date. The message said, “You should update this app. The version you’re using doesn’t include the latest security features to keep you protected. Only continue if you understand this.”

    Before Monday, it had been about three months since the Gmail app for iOS had received an update; there are still some other Google apps that need to follow suit. But by bringing one of its most popular iOS apps up-to-date, Google has sent a message that says it is not afraid of the App Privacy Label and has started the process of updating its remaining iOS apps.

  • Clubhouse app blocked in China, added to ‘Great Firewall’, say users

    Clubhouse app blocked in China, added to ‘Great Firewall’, say users

    Access to U.S. audio app Clubhouse was blocked in China on Monday, users and an anti-censorship watchdog said, ending a brief window that allowed thousands of mainland users to join in discussions often censored in China.

    Launched in early 2020, Clubhouse’s global user numbers soared earlier this month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform.

    Masses of new users joined from mainland China, taking part in discussions on topics that included sensitive issues such as Xinjiang detention camps, Taiwan independence and Hong Kong’s National Security Law.

    However, users of China’s Twitter-like social media app Weibo began posting that they were having issues accessing the Clubhouse app on Monday evening. Some showed screenshots of a message the app displayed when they tried to open it which said a secure connection to the server could not be made.

    Anti-censorship activist website GreatFire.org said on Twitter late on Monday that the app had been blocked for users in China at around 7 p.m. Beijing time (1100 GMT) that day.

    Many Western social media apps including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are banned in China, where the local internet is tightly regulated and often censored of content that could undermine the country’s ruling Communist Party.

    Clubhouse did not respond to requests for comment. The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s top internet regulator, did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

    “Clubhouse has been walled,” said one Weibo user on Monday, referring to the system China uses to regulate its internet.

    “This is just too fast,” said another.

    Many Weibo posts discussing the blocking of the app were deleted from the platform by Tuesday morning.

    The Clubhouse app is only available on iOS devices and is unavailable in the local Apple app store in China, but mainland Chinese users had been able to access the app by modifying the location of their app store.

    As first reports of the internet disruptions began on Monday, nearly 3,000 users opened a room in Clubhouse to discuss whether it had been blocked by Chinese censors, with some expressing concerns that authorities could be monitoring discussions.

    Some users urged others not to panic.

    “Let bullets fly for a while. Let’s monitor for a few days first, don’t panic yet,” one user said.

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  • Uncertified Android phones will lose support for an important app in March

    Uncertified Android phones will lose support for an important app in March

    The latter is making changes to its Messages app that will prevent some devices from receiving texts. One group of Android users that won’t be able to receive new texts will be those who own one of the latest Huawei models. Starting this coming March, Android phones considered to be “uncertified” will not be allowed to install and use the Messages app; this will affect millions.<

    Because of its placement on the U.S. Commerce Department's Entity List (due to its alleged ties to the Communist Chinese government), Huawei is not allowed to access its U.S. supply chain. That means that its phones cannot use Google software including the licensed version of Android. Because recent Huawei models like the P40 series and the Mate 40 series no longer feature security permissions from Google, the latter considers those Huawei models to be uncertified. Certified Android models are allowed to have Google's Android apps installed along with the Google Play Services ecosystem.

    Uncertified Android handsets are hard to find. But in the case of Huawei, the manufacturer's newer models are impacted by the firm's placement on the Entity List. If you install the latest listing of Google Messages from the Play Store (which is version 7.2, by the way) on an uncertified device, a message will appear that reads, "On March 31, Messages will stop working on uncertified devices, including this one." The warning is intended to prevent Huawei owners from sideloading Google Play Services onto their device which could allow them to install Google Messages on it despite any ban. The Messages app is not preinstalled on most Android phones and must be downloaded from the Play Store.

    Google might have decided to make this change because of the end-to-end encryption that has recently been added to the Messages app. Android phones without certification, including newer Huawei devices that have Play Services sideloaded, have not been able to have their security vetted. Thus, users who think that messages they are sending to friends, family members, co-workers and others using an "uncertified" device are protected by encryption, could actually be disseminating secrets that strangers are viewing.

    While there has been some hope that the punishments received by Huawei might be reversed under the Biden administration, so far there has been no word from the new president about his intentions vis-a-vis Huawei.

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  • Goldman Sachs Proffers Affluent Wealth App

    Goldman Sachs Proffers Affluent Wealth App

    The U.S. investment bank plans to expand its wealth offering to affluent clients. The move represents a further departure from its Wall Street roots.

    Goldman Sachs, the best-known investment bank in the world, is pushing deeper into mass-market banking. Four years after launching Marcus for retail clients, the New York-based company is now releasing an app for affluent clients to invest, according to a report by CNBC which cites an internal memo.

    A beta version of the app – Marcus Invest – has already started and a wider launch is planned for the first quarter. Employees are the first to test Marcus Invest, which charges an annual fee of 0.15 percent of assets.

    The move is emblematic of how Goldman, known as Wall Street’s most voracious trading house, is quietly seeking a reinvention as a trusted wealth manager under CEO David Solomon. Though still minute in comparison to its investment banking activities, the wealth arm has steadily expanded in recent years – including returning to the world’s largest offshore center.

    Goldman’s entrance into the mass affluent market was foreshadowed by Marcus, which it launched in 2016 in the U.S. and expanded to the U.K. two years ago. Marcus was so successful in hoovering up British money that Goldman reportedly shut it to new clients this year. The app was meant to be launched in Germany as well, a move which was pushed back due to Brexit as well as the pandemic.

    Until recently, Goldman’s wealth managers catered only to the wealthiest of clients and those who also commanded investment banking-grade services (generally from $25 million in assets and up).

    Unlike traditional wealth managers, Goldman is making technology a backbone of its efforts to court the wealthy – plowing billions into its own development as well as into deals. It bought United Capital, a tech-backed wealth manager, last May, but has been quietly acquiring consumer banks and wealth managers since 2016.

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  • Grab’s reign over Vietnam ride-hailing market continues

    Grab’s reign over Vietnam ride-hailing market continues

    Grab remains the dominant player in the Vietnamese ride-hailing market with close to a 75 percent share, and is widening the gap with competitors. Global market advisory firm ABI Research said Grab completed 62.5 million rides in the first six months of 2020, or 74.6 percent of the market, an increase from last year’s 73 percent.

    The market share of FastGo, a Vietnamese competitor, dropped to 0.7 percent from 1 percent.

    But, the Covid-19 pandemic came as a huge blow to the market as Grab’s figures showed. Its 62.5 million rides were a mere 20 percent of the 313 million it completed in the first half of last year.

    The overall market shrunk to 19.5 percent of last year’s 429.5 million rides.

    Two new Vietnamese apps, HCMC-based Viservice’s viApp, and GV Asia’s GV Taxi, made their debuts during the year. But analysts are skeptical about their prospects.

    With the ride-hailing field being extremely competitive, even strong players like Grab, Be and Gojek have turned to the food delivery market for profits.

    Vietnam was the fourth largest ride-hailing market in Southeast Asia last year behind Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, according to a report by Google, Singaporean sovereign fund Temasek and U.S. management consultancy Bain.

    ABI Research estimated the market at US$1.1 billion last year and said it could rise to $4 billion by 2025.

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  • My Volkswagen Connect App Launched

    My Volkswagen Connect App Launched

    Volkswagen India has joined the connected car bandwagon with the launch of the ‘My Volkswagen Connect’ mobile app. The new interactive sim-based app brings connected car technology to Volkswagen cars sold in the country and provides access to a host of features like vehicle telematics, geofencing, remote tracking and more. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices. The new Polo GT TSI and the Vento Highline Plus will get the new My Volkswagen Connect app as standard, the company has said in a statement.

    Commenting on the launch, Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India said, “At Volkswagen India, we have relentlessly been working towards enhancing and providing our customers the best of technology and connected solutions. Today, we introduced the upgraded ‘My Volkswagen Connect’ app that offers customer convenience and safety at their fingertips. Customers will have access to real-time vehicle analysis and assistance that would make them aware of their vehicle condition, driving patterns, and enhance the overall fun-to-drive experience that a Volkswagen stands for.”The new Volkswagen connected car app essentially uses a dongle that’s plugged in the car’s on-board diagnostics (OBD) port that relays information on the mobile app. The app offers a range of data that includes the user’s driving style quantifying speed, braking behavior, coolant temperature, acceleration, and rpm. The app also enables users to locate the point of interest and also reach out to customer care or roadside assistance, in case of emergencies.

    The My Volkswagen Connect app also has the provision to scan and store vehicular documents for a paperless record. You can also use the app to set reminders for vehicle insurance renewal. Volkswagen India is offering the app with a three-year subscription for free and three years of warranty. Similarly, Honda Cars India also offers the Honda Connect app on its cars, while Nissan offers the Nissan Connect app on the same lines. It is noteworthy to mention that both companies among several others have been offering the technology for about a few years now.

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  • Vingroup app to digitise 300,000 vietnamese mom-and-pop shops

    Vingroup app to digitise 300,000 vietnamese mom-and-pop shops

    Vietnam’s biggest conglomerate, Vingroup, has recently launched a mobile app for mom and pop retail stores, helping to digitize a traditional business that has been upended by modern convenience stores such as 7-Eleven.

    Vingroup announced Monday that its VinShop app is used by 20,000 small shops in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Those stores, called tap hoa, are typically family-run and sell sundries. Shopkeepers use the app to order hundreds of items from suppliers, eliminating the need to contact them individually. They also use it to connect to another Vingroup app, VinID, used by 10 million retail shoppers to make payments.

    VinShop began building its retail network in July, aiming to connect manufacturers and shops through the app, which includes purchase and distribution functions. “VinShop’s revenue will be based on a targeted advertising platform, financial services offerings and market development for suppliers,” Truong Quynh Phuong, business director at Vingroup’s logistics arm, One Mount Group, said last Wednesday.

    Tiny brick-and-mortar shops have long underpinned Vietnam’s “sachet economy,” an allusion to the common practice of selling single-use packets of many daily consumables, such as shampoo and coffee.

    Small shops face growing competition from 7-Eleven, Ministop, B’s Mart, and even Vinmart+, the chain of convenience stores launched by Vingroup now run by local consumer goods giant Masan following a merger in December. Sales at the major chains reached $170 million in 2019, about four times as much money as traditional shops took in, according to a July report from Deloitte, a consultancy.

    The VinShop app is the latest addition to the suite of Vingroup brands, from VinFast cars to VinSmart phones, as the company founded by Vietnam’s richest man, Pham Nhat Vuong, turns its focus to technology and manufacturing.

    Vingroup says its app will raise the income of small shops, which it calls grocery stores, by $432 a month on average by making their operations more efficient and cutting costs.

    “This solution is expected to improve the efficiency of the entire supply chain, and help overcome the current weaknesses in the distribution of products from manufacturers to grocery stores,” the company says.

    National and international convenience store chains have become hangouts for young Vietnamese, who gather to sip juice and slurp instant noodles. Traditional shops, by contrast tend to be windowless rooms that are often attached to owners’ homes, and piled high with things like chips, bottled water and laundry detergent.

    “For many rural consumers and lower-income urban consumer segments, who need to budget daily for food and make purchases in small quantities, traditional grocery retailers, such as local markets and mom and pop shops, are a convenient and affordable alternative to modern trade outlets,” according to the Deloitte report.

    Consumption has dropped across the board during the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has left Vietnamese reluctant to go out, said Infocus Mekong Research. In its July survey of shoppers, 36% said they would visit convenience stores less often, even after the pandemic ends, versus 22% who said they would shop more often.

    Similar efforts to modernize traditional shops through technology are taking off elsewhere in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, startups BukuWarung and BukuKas have raised millions of dollars for similar smartphone apps.

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  • Twitter begins testing new grouped follow feature on Android

    Twitter begins testing new grouped follow feature on Android

    Twitter is constantly testing out new features across its mobile apps. Most recently it made some changes to its automated cropping feature and started testing a ‘read before sharing’ prompt on iOS.

    Today, the social media platform has announced another test.

    Available to a select number of Twitter for Android users, the latest Twitter feature involves a suggestion to follow a group of relevant accounts on the profile page of someone you’ve just followed.

    The accounts can all be followed at once with a simple tap, or users can choose to remove the ones they aren’t interested in. Twitter’s algorithm presumably generates the list of accounts based on what content each one shares.

    The feature replaces the existing suggestion box which lists three users and provides the option to see more relevant accounts.

    Twitter has provided no further information about the test, but if it proves popular among users the feature could eventually makes it way over to iOS through testing before expanding to all users.

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  • AirAsia to raise capital to fund AirAsia Digital

    AirAsia to raise capital to fund AirAsia Digital

    Airasia Group is looking into raising capital to fund its digital arm AirAsia Digital to further diversify revenue stream for the group. Group CEO Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes said AirAsia Digital is the group’s “next phase” and aims to be a new kind of travel technology company in the region through the strength of its assets and access to talents.

    “Our aim is to be an ASEAN super app, our strength is in ASEAN. Obviously, we have accelerated this plan in this post-Covid-19 world,” he told reporters in a media briefing in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

    Previously known as RedBeat Ventures Sdn Bhd upon launch in 2018, AirAsia Digital leverages the group’s physical and digital assets to create an ecosystem of businesses that connect with its customers in their everyday life.

    It comprises three main pillars — venture builder, RedBeat Academy, and data center. Venture builder is dedicated to incubating and growing strategic businesses that focus on logistics and e-commerce and financial services. It includes its five portfolio companies AirAsia.com, Teleport, BigPay, BIGLIFE, and Santan.

    RedBeat Academy trains and produces a steady pool of digital experts to fill and boost the talent gaps in ASEAN, while the data center is a data consultancy department that provides a range of services including data governance, data engineering, and various types of analytics.

    Asked about the company’s strategy against competitors and to fit into an ASEAN market such as Indonesia, Fernandes said they are there to complement the market instead of competing.

    “In the same way that AirAsia is much smaller than Lion Air, but we fitted into that market. We are nowhere near the size of Gojek but again, AirAsia is not about being dominant in one country, it’s about providing an Asian product and serving the market,” he said.

    Fernandes said the business will seek venture capital or other investors to grow the user base of the super app, similar to how AirAsia raised its capital.

    “AirAsia’s first capital was raised with private equity money while the second capital was from our IPO. We will do the same.

    “We built the super app in our own capital just like we built AirAsia. We have some debt capital coming in that has been secured for part of the group including Teleport and Santan,” he added.

    He added low-cost airlines will bounce back faster than their premium counterparts in the current economic climate as people will look for value at affordable fares.

    Additionally, Fernandes mentioned AirAsia’s digital and logistics company Teleport which operates its cargo delivery.

    “We are a fantastically strong cargo operator, the strongest cargo operator in Asia, only Singapore Airlines have more tonnage than us but that’s because they fly to Europe and the US but there are no airlines that fly to all the destinations that we fly.

    “We’ve been cleared now and we are able to carry all kinds of cargo that we weren’t able to do before, so we are not far away from the DHL’s and FDex’s of the world,” said Fernandes.

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  • AirAsia adding services in super app

    AirAsia adding services in super app

    AirAsia Group announced on Thursday that it is building a super app off its existing mobile application and website to provide services such as e-commerce, delivery, and payments. The app is to be available next month in Thailand and ASEAN.

    AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes said the idea to build a super app came before the pandemic, but new revenue streams are desperately needed after most of AirAsia’s fleet has been grounded for months because of travel restrictions. The company suffered losses of US$238 million in the second quarter of this year.

    “This journey didn’t start during the pandemic but it was accelerated because of the outbreak,” Mr Fernandes said. “This is not a Plan B, this was always our Plan A, but we still think aviation will definitely come back.”

    The new platform will be accessible through AirAsia.com and AirAsia’s mobile app on Oct 8, including digital services under subsidiary AirAsia Digital.

    These services include BigPay, a digital payment app; Teleport, a wholly-owned logistics, e-commerce, and delivery business; and Santan, a food and beverage franchise. Mr Fernandes said these services are already earning revenue for AirAsia except for BigPay, which is in negotiations with regulators to set its rates.

    Teleport came to Thailand in 2019 through a joint venture, while BigPay is available in Thailand and can transfer money to Thai bank accounts. Santan is only available in Malaysia or on AirAsia flights.

    “AirAsia’s roots are from moving people from A to B and moving cargo from A to B, and that is the basis of AirAsia Digital and the basis for our platform AirAsia.com,” Mr Fernandes said.

    The app will also allow users to book hotels and flights (from airlines other than AirAsia) and offers a travel and lifestyle rewards program. The company ended its partnership with Expedia and is offering its own travel booking service.

    AirAsia’s new venture will face stiff competition from existing super apps Grab and Gojek, which are both spending billions in venture capital to expand their presence in Southeast Asia. Grab and Gojek are in talks for a merger, which if completed would create a virtual monopoly for ride-hailing and food delivery in Asean.

    Grab is valued at about $14 billion, while Gojek was valued last year at almost $10 billion. Neither company is publicly traded.

    AirAsia, which is listed on the Malaysian stock exchange, has a market capitalization of $624 million.

    “We are nowhere near the size of Grab or Gojek, but AirAsia’s not about being dominant in one country, but providing an Asean product,” Mr Fernandes said.

    The AirAsia app hopes to differentiate itself by leveraging the data it has collected from millions of passengers, while also stressing its cross-country appeal for cross-border travelers in Asean.

    “I don’t believe we are here to compete, but here to complement,” Mr Fernandes said. “Airlines always see us as competitors, but we complemented the full service and created a new market that was not there — before, only a few people could fly, now everyone can fly, and in the same way we will complement the market.”

    He said the platform will also be open to new partners and services, not just those owned directly by AirAsia Digital.

    Michael Araneta, associate vice-president of IDC Financial Insights, said traditional businesses like AirAsia can find success with a super app by leveraging existing customer bases and technical resources.

    “AirAsia has shifted to being a lifestyle company and already has spent considerably on developing technology,” he said. “The company might not need to invest a substantial additional amount to turn their tech offerings into a super app.”

    Users of AirAsia’s super app will benefit from usage points that convert to discount flights and other related partner services supporting its core business, Mr Araneta said.

    During a pandemic, users cannot take advantage of these flight privileges as much.

    Mr Araneta said a winning super app is one that leverages considerable real-time data and various partners to provide relevant benefits to its customer base.

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  • Ducati Introduces MyDucati Mobile App For Customers

    Ducati Introduces MyDucati Mobile App For Customers

    In a bid to connect with their customers and offer a single platform for all things Ducati, the Italian bike maker has introduced the MyDucati mobile app globally. The new application is available on both Android and iOS platforms and can be downloaded for free from the respective app stores. The MyDucati app brings the Italian manufacturer’s world under one roof for the user that includes new experiences, access to nearest dealerships, exclusive content, and preview to the brand’s upcoming model range. Existing MyDucati users will be able to sign up with the same credentials on the new app as the website.

    Some of the salient bits on the MyDucati app include the Garage section where the customers can consult the documentation of their motorcycle and carry a digital Ducati Card, which is the company’s official Ducatista document. The app also allows you to configure its motorcycles virtually, while owners can also customize their own rides by uploading a picture. The app allows you to save and share the picture with your friends and even the dealer.

    Furthermore, the MyDucati app can locate the closest dealer based on geo-localization, consult the services available, and even make an appointment for a test ride with a few clicks. There’s also a News section that keeps users up to date in real-time about all that’s happening around the world under the Ducati brand. There is a reserved section for the Desmo Owners Club (DOC) community where the members can interact with each other and share their experiences. The app will also offer access to promotions and personalized services based on the interests and preferences selected by the user.

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  • The airline founder building Asia’s next super app

    The airline founder building Asia’s next super app

    AirAsia’s founder Tony Fernandes is building what he hopes will be the region’s next “super app” as he deals with the coronavirus travel downturn. He wants to rival the likes of Grab, GoJek, and WeChat with an all-in-one app for food delivery, shopping, payments, entertainment, and travel. As the airline’s boss, he has been looking at new ways to generate income while his planes were grounded. AirAsia has struggled during the pandemic and cut 30% of its staff.

    Mr. Fernandes said he has spent his time during the travel slump improving the AirAsia app and the company’s payments platform BigPay.

    “The downturn was a blessing in disguise in some ways as it allowed us to focus more on it. Running an airline takes up a lot of our time but we have been given the opportunity and time to focus on our digital business.”

    AirAsia already has a “rich database” of over 60 million users as its starting point. The AirAsia app, which also offers users a messaging service, has set its sights on super apps like Singapore-based Grab, Indonesia’s GoJek, and China’s Meituan.

    “AirAsia has always been a digital company. We were one of the first airlines to sell online. It’s in our bloodstream,” added Mr. Fernandes, who is also a major shareholder of English football club Queen’s Park Rangers (QPR).

    “I know a super app sounds like a lofty target but Grab and GoJek also started out small as food or mobility apps. Plus people also questioned me the same way when I said I wanted to start AirAsia.”

    Mr. Fernandes’ airline has now grown to become Asia’s biggest budget carrier. Last year AirAsia launched its own record label called RedRecords in partnership with Universal Music. The aim is to discover stars from South East Asia who will appeal to a Western audience. The first major signing, Thai pop star Jannine Weigel, has already built up millions of followers across social media.

    “Boy have we got something special with the record label. The Koreans have shown how Asian music can appeal to a global audience with K-pop and there is huge potential for southeast Asia.”

    “This also helps us engage with a younger audience and gives lots of content for our app.”

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