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Tag: asia

  • Home rental market booming

    Home rental market booming

    Searches for rental properties in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City surged 101% in January against last year, while rents rose, according to the real estate website Batdongsan.

    In Hanoi, searches for rental apartments and houses increased 112% and 38%, respectively. The respective figures for HCMC were 157% and 107%.

    The average rent of apartments in Hanoi and HCMC climbed up 8% and 4%, respectively. The average rent of rental houses increased 33% in Hanoi and 18% in HCMC.

    Dinh Minh Tuan, head of Batdongsan in the southern region, said the reasons include a higher demand from enterprises and migrant workers.

    He said some firms, which downsized last year, are now renting premises with an area of 50-70 square meters in apartment blocks in city centers.

    The higher demand has led to higher rents.

    Selling prices of apartments have increased 30-40% over the past two years, but rents have risen at lower rates.

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  • Vietnamese favor Canadian lobsters, snow crabs

    Vietnamese favor Canadian lobsters, snow crabs

    Vietnam spent US$65 million importing Canadian seafood, mainly lobsters and snow cabs last year, doubling 2021 imports and trebling 2020.

    Among Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam was Canadian’s biggest seafood importer, Steve Craig, Minister of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, said at a recent business networking event in HCMC.

    Although Vietnam is the world’s fourth largest seafood exporter with an annual turnover of $11 billion, it is still a fertile ground for Canadian products, he said, noting that Vietnamese are among the world’s top seafood consumers.

    Tran Van Truong, CEO of Royal Seafood chain, an official importer of Canadian seafood in large quantities, said the seafood is famous in Vietnam because their prices are always stable and often 5-20%, sometimes 40%, lower than imports other countries.

    Currently, in the Vietnamese market, Canadian lobsters are priced at VND1.4 million ($59.3) per kilogram, and Australian lobsters at VND2.4 million. The price of cod, oysters, and geoducks imported from Canada are also lower.

    Between 50 and 60 Vietnamese firms directly import Canadian seafood, and the number of Canadian seafood shops in Vietnam is rising.

    Canada will create more favorable conditions for Canadian and Vietnamese seafood to penetrate more deeply into each other’s markets, Craig said, stating that the Vietnamese market is very promising.

    Overall, bilateral trade between Canada and Vietnam was $14 billion last year, he said, noting that Vietnam is Canada’s biggest trading partner in Southeast Asia.

     

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  • Airlines propose scrapping airfare caps

    Airlines propose scrapping airfare caps

    Airlines and some experts have proposed hiking and eventually removing domestic airfare caps to support businesses in difficult times.

    Last year, no domestic airlines were profitable because of higher fuel costs, foreign exchange rates, and interest rates, while airfare caps have been kept unchanged for eight years. On Friday, participants at a conference on supporting the aviation industry said that the caps should be removed.

    Trinh Ngoc Thanh, executive vice president of Vietnam Airlines, said domestic airfare caps were last adjusted in 2015.

    The current maximum fare is VND2.2 million ($96) for routes under 850 kilometers and VND3.75 million for those above 1,280 kilometers.

    Airfare caps are placed only on domestic routes, not on international ones. As a result, the highest airfare of domestic flights is sometimes 40% lower than that of the HCMC – Singapore route, Thanh said.

    Thanh and Nguyen Manh Quan, CEO of Bamboo Airways, proposed that the Ministry of Transport hike the airfare caps and then eventually scrap them to ensure the aviation industry’s sustainable development.

    Quan also proposed the State still apply airfare caps on routes operated by only one airline, but let the market self-regulate routes tapped by at least two carriers.

    Hoai Nam, a Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board member, said: “Removing the airfare caps will help domestic airlines improve revenues and profits during peak periods.”

    He said that at present, no other countries in the world apply airfare caps, and none of the five domestic airlines has a monopoly position, so the caps should be removed as soon as possible.

    However, if the caps are scraped, airlines must not negotiate with one another about airfares, seriously violating the Competition Law and affecting the interests of passengers, Nam added.

    Tran Tho Dat, a member of the prime minister’s Economic Advisory Group, suggested the management agency should come up with a formula for regulating airfares like that for retail prices of gasoline and oil products.

    “If there are no caps, we should create a formula, an open airfare range, to ensure fair competition and people’s interests,” he said.

    In 2021, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam proposed removing airfare caps on routes operated by three airlines or more to increase competition by service quality to serve passengers who are willing to pay higher than the ceiling price.

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  • Dairy Farm to sell its Malaysian grocery business

    Dairy Farm to sell its Malaysian grocery business

    Dairy Farm International Group (DFI) is disposing its grocery venture in Malaysia, which includes the supermarket chain Giant, for an unspecified figure after having operated in the country for 24 years.

    The retail group, based in Hong Kong and listed in Singapore, has inked an agreement with a group of Malaysian business people headed by Datuk Andrew Lim Tatt Keong, who is both the deputy chairman of Sogo Department Store and executive chairman of the Gama Group.

    The switchover is anticipated to be finished by next month and the new owner will take over 2500 staffs from Giant, Cold Storage and Mercato grocery businesses.

    The Edge Markets suggested that the agreement could be worth “at least a couple of billion (ringgit)”.

    DFI entered Malaysia in 1999 by obtaining a 90 percent stake in Giant via its subsidiary GCH Retail. The subsidiary registered a net loss of US$23.4 million in 2021 with store numbers being cut to less than half of the pre-Covid period.

    “By uniting these companies under experienced local leadership, we have laid the foundations for them to continue growing and contributing to the Malaysian economy,” the company said.

  • Starbucks Unveils Innovative Olive Oil Coffee Brew

    Starbucks Unveils Innovative Olive Oil Coffee Brew

    It’s no secret that Starbucks is constantly looking for ways to innovate and stay ahead of the competition. Recently, the global coffee giant has unveiled its newest innovation – an olive oil coffee brew. This new brew has taken the coffee world by storm and is gaining a lot of attention from coffee enthusiasts around the world.

     

    Starbucks is one of the world’s largest coffee chains, with over 30,000 locations in 80 countries. Founded in 1971, Starbucks is known for its high-quality coffee and innovative drinks. It is also known for its commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing.

    The recent launch of Starbucks’ olive oil coffee brew has been met with excitement from coffee lovers around the world. This new brew is made with a combination of coffee and olive oil, creating a unique flavor that is completely different from traditional coffee.

    The combination of coffee and olive oil in Starbucks’ new brew provides a number of benefits. Firstly, it is packed with antioxidants, which can help protect your body from free radicals and reduce inflammation. Additionally, the olive oil adds a rich, buttery flavor to the coffee, which is sure to be a hit with coffee lovers.

    Furthermore, the combination of coffee and olive oil can help to increase energy levels and mental clarity. This makes it the perfect choice for those who need an extra boost throughout the day. Finally, the olive oil coffee brew is naturally low in calories, making it a healthier alternative to sugary coffee drinks.

    The olive oil coffee brew is completely different from traditional coffee. Firstly, it is made with high-quality, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. This adds a unique flavor and aroma to the brew that is unlike any other coffee.

    Secondly, the olive oil adds a rich, buttery texture to the coffee, which is sure to be a hit with coffee lovers. Finally, the olive oil coffee brew is naturally low in calories, making it a healthier alternative to sugary coffee drinks.

    starbucks plans to continue to expand the reach of its olive oil coffee brew. The company plans to open more locations that serve the olive oil brew and also plans to release additional flavors in the future. Additionally, Starbucks plans to use the olive oil brew as a way to introduce customers to other products, such as its cold brews, espresso drinks, and tea lattes.

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  • Google TV adds new landing pages to simplify navigation

    Google TV adds new landing pages to simplify navigation

    Google announced today via a blog post a set of new improvements coming to the Google TV platform that will add four new landing pages in the United States to make it simpler for viewers to access their preferred forms of entertainment without having to switch between different applications. These updates were considered after recent research has found that the average household subscribes to more than five different entertainment apps.

    These new landing pages, which can be found directly below the row of apps on the “For you” tab, will give you quick access to the best entertainment in the categories of Movies, Shows, Families, and Spanish-language content, without requiring you to navigate from app to app, and make it easier to discover new things. Below are the details:

    The Family page is the new place to go for entertainment that is suitable for families, with content ranging from old favorites to recent releases. It is not difficult to find something suitable for the entire family to watch together if it has a PG or lower content rating. And there’s no need to worry, because even when your children watch their own shows on their own television, they’ll still have access to the kid’s profile where they can watch all of their favorites.

    The Español page is the new home for the best Spanish-language entertainment, including telenovelas, live TV, movies, and shows. You will also have access to well-known apps in Spanish, such as Pantaya and FlixLatino, in addition to a library of dubbed and subtitled movies and television shows. Google is striving to make it much simpler for you to watch the entertainment that you enjoy, regardless of whether you are a native speaker of Spanish, live in a bilingual household, or are simply someone who enjoys content that is presented in Spanish.

    The Movies page allows you to search through thousands of films based on their title, genre, or subject matter, all on one simple page. You will also receive personalized recommendations for films that you might enjoy, in addition to information on recently released films and films that are currently popular.

    It has never been simpler to watch back-to-back episodes of your favorite show, whether it’s “The White Lotus” or “Yellowstone.” You can get new releases from all of your subscriptions in one convenient location by visiting the Shows page, where you can also view popular shows and explore personalized topics. In addition, when one show is over, you will be given suggestions for other shows that you might like to watch afterward.

    Google also states that several improvements are being made to the navigation system, one of which is moving the profile switcher to the top left corner so that you can switch between profiles in a seamless manner. The search bar will also be relocated to the far right of the screen, and a new button for quick settings will be added. These updates will begin rolling out today globally on Chromecast with Google TV and other Google TV devices, such as those manufactured by Hisense, Philips, Sony, and TCL.

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  • Netflix lowers subscription prices in nearly three dozen countries

    Netflix lowers subscription prices in nearly three dozen countries

    We now have the full list of countries where Netflix has decided to lower subscription prices has just been published courtesy to Ampere Analysis: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, British Indian Ocean Territory, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Christmas Island, Comoros, Congo – Brazzaville, Congo – Kinshasa, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St. Barthélemy, St. Helena, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wallis & Futuna, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

    Netflix is expected to lose some subscribers due to crackdown on password sharing this year. Although it lost a few million subscribers in the first quarters of 2022, the streaming service gained nearly 8 million subscribers in Q4 2022, a number that exceeded its initial losses.

    In an attempt to avoid potential losses in customer numbers, Netflix announced plans to reduce subscription costs in over 30 countries.

    Unfortunately, Netflix didn’t provide the complete list of countries where subscription prices will be lowered, but we some of the locations where these changes will be introduced. For example, Middle East countries like Yemen, Jordan, Libya, and Iran will benefit from major discounts.

    The same goes for at least three countries in Easter Europe, such as Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovenia. As far as Latin America goes, we know of three countries where Netflix plans to cut subscription prices: Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Last but not least, customers in several countries from Africa and Asia will be getting cheaper Netflix subscriptions, including Kenya, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

    While Netflix confirmed that it’s updating the pricing of its plans in certain countries but didn’t offer specific details regarding prices. As mentioned earlier, price reductions will differ based on location, so you’ll probably have to check with your local Netflix branch for more details.

    This is a major decision that somewhat contradicts Netflix’s most recent statements that announced plans to raise prices rather than lowering them. It’s important to mention though that these changes will only be introduced in some countries where prices were already too high.

    As competition from other streaming services becomes fiercer, Netflix is taking steps to make sure customers remain loyal to its products no matter where they live.

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  • Vietnam to have 16 more railway lines by 2030

    Vietnam to have 16 more railway lines by 2030

    Vietnam’s railway network planning expects to have 16 new national lines with a total length of about 4,802km by 2030.

    According to the Ministry of Transport, the planning for 2021-2030 will also upgrade seven existing lines, whose total length amounts to 2,440km.

    By 2050, the number of new rail lines will be 25, which together are 6,354km long.

    The completely upgraded and expanded network following the planning will connect strategic economic areas and corridors, urban centres, international sea ports, border gates, and airports nationwide, said a leader of the ministry.

    Rail transport boasts several advantages. It requires less land areas, leaves little impact on the environment, and carries a large amount of goods and passengers. It is also fast, safe, and low cost.

    However, the railway investment budget is enormous, while the State budget resources are limited. Due to the low financial efficiency of railway investment, it is difficult for the sector to attract capital from society.

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  • Finance ministry again moots tax on sweetened beverages

    Finance ministry again moots tax on sweetened beverages

    The Ministry of Finance is again considering imposing a tax on sweetened beverages eight years after failing to get other ministries’ backing for it.

    A “reasonable” special consumption tax on sugary drinks would help protect people’s health in line with the World Health Organization’s recommendation and international practice, it said.

    Consumption of sweetened beverages in Vietnam had surged by nearly eight times between 2002 and 2018 to 50.7 liters per person per year.

    Surveys by the National Institute of Nutrition in 2001-10 and 2011-20 found the overweight children rate rising quickly in urban and rural areas.

    In 2012 15 countries were imposing a tax on sweetened beverages, but by 2021 it had risen to 50, including six in Vietnam’s neighborhood: Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

    “WHO recommends that governments take actions to encourage people to consume healthy food, including using tax measures on sugary drinks to orient consumption,” the ministry said.

    In 2014 the ministry had proposed a 10% special consumption tax on sweetened beverages, but other ministries opposed it. The Ministries of Planning and Investment and Justice said the argument for the tax was not convincing, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade said it could have a negative impact on businesses.

    The finance ministry is also considering hikes in the special consumption tax on beer and other alcoholic beverages and cigarettes.

    Between 2016 and 2019 it had increased the rate on beer and certain alcoholic beverages from 55% to 65% and on cigarettes and cigars from 70% to 75%.

    But the hikes do not seem have had much effect, the ministry admitted.

    Vietnam remained the biggest beer consumer in Southeast Asia and third biggest in Asia. In 2019 an average person consumed 47.6 liters a year, 20% more than in 2015.

    In 2020 around 42.3% of Vietnamese men smoked, while the government’s target had been to bring it down to 37%.

    But the country’s taxes on alcoholic drinks remain lower than in other countries, and account for only 30% of retail price compared to 40-85% elsewhere, according to WHO.

    On cigarettes, the rate is 35% compared to 70% in Thailand, 69% in Singapore, 57% in Malaysia, and 51% in Indonesia. It is as high as 80% in France and 75% in Germany.

    Another reason for the ministry’s proposal to increase the tax is that prices of alcoholic drinks have been rising slower than average incomes.

    In 1998 it had taken a person 8.2% of their annual income to buy 10 liters of Vodka Hanoi, but by 2014 the ratio had dropped to 2.2%. In the case of red wine, the rate had dropped from 5.9% to 1.6%.

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  • Price of foldable Samsung smartphone plummets

    Price of foldable Samsung smartphone plummets

    Vietnamese electronics retailers are buying back the Galaxy Z Fold, which sold for VND50 million (US$2.092) when it was launched in 2019, at an 88% reduction from the original price.

    Ever since Samsung’s new Galaxy S23 went on sale in Vietnam on Feb. 17, retailers have launched trade-in programs, encouraging users to buy the new model.

    Galaxy Z Fold phones are being bought back at prices of VND0.43-6.1 million per unit depending on their condition.

    The Galaxy S10+, another high-end Samsung model which went on sale in 2019 with a price tag of VND28.9 million, is being bought back for VND2.9 million.

    According to Nguyen Lac Huy, manager of electronics chain CellphoneS, prices of most Android smartphones fall faster than those of iPhone models. After six months of use, the price of an Android phone plunges by 40-50%.

    The main reason is that manufacturers often offer discounts on Android phones after launch, while the cost of repairing them is high.

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  • Blackmores’ international sales soften during first half

    Blackmores’ international sales soften during first half

    The chief executive of vitamins group Blackmores says people will keep spending on vitamins and health supplements they consider crucial, but are becoming more discerning about when and where to buy as cost-of-living pressures rise.

    Alastair Symington says there’s a noticeable shift in the different channels from which vitamins purchases are being made, with value-oriented consumers hunting for special deals and the lowest price.

    “We are seeing a little bit of shifting out of the traditional pharmacy,” he said.

    Mr Symington said in the first weeks of February, the volume of sales across the board hadn’t waned, but Blackmores was closely monitoring buying patterns, anticipating that some consumers could start buying fewer items and stick to core purchases.

    “We haven’t seen volumes coming down yet,” he said.

    Blackmores shares dropped 6.7 percent to $79.06 by late afternoon on the ASX on Thursday after a subdued first-half profit. The group generated net profit after tax of $25.5 million for the six months ended December 31, down 1.4 percent from a year earlier. Revenues fell 1.6 percent to $338 million.

    The share price had rallied in the previous four months, gaining 35 percent from $63.71 in mid-October.

    Blackmores shares hit $200 in 2016 when the “clean and green” status of Australian vitamin companies fuelled an extraordinary jump in demand from consumers in China, and triggered a buyout of Australian rival Swisse by China-based Health & Happiness.

  • Google drops “Chat” for “RCS” on Android

    Google drops “Chat” for “RCS” on Android

    The Google Messages app is very much like Apple’s Messages app, When an Android user sends messages to another Android user employing the Google Messages app, the messages enjoy end-to-end encryption, no limit on character capacity, higher-quality image sharing, read receipts, message indicators, and more. And guess what happens when an iOS user joins the group; all of these lovely features are disabled.
    Another issue is that those unaware of RCS can overlook the Google Messages app (which stands for Rich Communication Services). Some Android users might use the Messages app connected to their carrier for no reason other than they are unaware what the differences are. If you’re an Android user and want the same features that Apple gives iPhone users on its Messages app, you need to install the Google Messages app which can be installed from the Google Play Store by tapping on this link.
    Originally, Google called its replacement for SMS by the name of Chat. For example, if an Android user was messaging another Android user and both were using Google Messages, the text field would say Chat. But Google is rebranding Chat using the RCS name. In this situation, where two Google Messages users are messaging, the text field now says RCS message. By the way, when someone using Google Messages is messaging an Android user using, say, Verizon’s Messages app, or an iPhone user, the text field says Text message.
    In areas of the Messages app where Google used to use the Chat branding, it now mentions RCS. The first item on the app’s Settings page (which you can get to by opening the Messages app, tapping on the profile picture in the upper right side inside the search field, and tapping on Messages setting) now says RCS chats where previously it said Chat features.
    Google said that it has started to disseminate the updates necessary for Android users to see the change in branding from Chat to RCS. But we still don’t think that Apple will give in to the pressure that Google has applied to the crew in Cupertino from time-to-time in an attempt to get Apple to support RCS and end the green bubble bullying.
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  • Microsoft launches its all-new AI-powered Bing on mobile

    Microsoft launches its all-new AI-powered Bing on mobile

    After introducing its new Bing and Microsoft Edge apps powered by AI, Microsoft announced the launch of the new Bing preview and Edge on mobile. The Redmond-based company figured out that most of the searches occur on mobile phones these days and decided to bring the new AI capabilities to smaller screens around the same time as PC.

    The new Bing and Edge mobile apps are now available for those who wish to try them out. Along with a new experience, Bing mobile offers a fresh design as well. Tapping the Bing icon allows users to engage in a chat session asking simple or complex questions.

    Another important change added, one of the preview community’s most requested features, is voice. Voice search is now available not just on desktop, but also on mobile too. For those who have access to the preview, the new Bing experience will be available from the homepage of the Microsoft Edge mobile app.

    Additionally, Microsoft announced the launch of the AI-powered Bing for Skype. Starting today, the new Bing in Skype is available worldwide in preview. While Microsoft is fine-tuning the app, Skype users who use Bing will still get real-time answers to their questions.

    The new AI-powered Bing for Skype experience includes personalization options that allow users to choose how they want answers to be displayed such as bullet points, text or simplified response. According to Microsoft, Bing can translate text from more than 100 languages, so that’s another plus. Although Skype user interface will vary during initial rollout, these features will remain available to everyone who has access to the preview.

    Those who wish to try these out must sign up for the Bing preview. Keep in mind though that you may occasionally find connectivity issues when your network signal is low. Microsoft is aware of these problems are will probably fix them sooner rather than later.

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  • Update to Bixby allows some users to create a custom wake phrase, use Text Call in English,

    Update to Bixby allows some users to create a custom wake phrase, use Text Call in English,

    Samsung’s Bixby digital assistant has never really captured the love and affection of Galaxy device users. But Samsung posted a press release today announcing that Bixby has received a major update that enhances the feature. And while Google Assistant still remains the best-performing digital assistant, the update to Bixby makes it clear that Samsung has not given up on the technology. The update improves Bixby’s language recognition and gives users more control over it.

    One big change will allow users to create their own custom wake phrase that will activate Bixby. And this is a feature that Google Assistant cannot offer users who still must summon Google by saying, “Hey, Google” or “Ok Google.” Can you customize a wake phrase to activate Siri? Come on, get real. We should point out that this feature is available in Korea only at the moment for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra

    The update now allows the Bixby Text Call feature to be used in English. With Bixby Text Call, you can answer a call by typing a message that Bixby converts to audio and communicates to the person on the other end of the phone. While first available only for the Korean language, Samsung expects to make this feature available for other apps besides phone calls. With Bixby Custom Voice Creator, users can also change the sound of the audio message as Bixby analyzes the recordings and uses AI to make a custom reply

    Following the update, Bixby can play music to match the kind of workout that you’re doing. First, you launch a workout using the Samsung Health app. Then, you ask Bixby to play music to match the workout by saying, “Play music for this workout.” Supported apps at the moment include Melon, Bugs, Genie, and FLO. And by expanding Bixby’s AI capabilities, following the update, users can be offline when asking Bixby to take a screenshot, set a timer, or turn on the flashlight.
    Bixby Text Call in English will be available on the Samsung Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Galaxy Z Flip 4 with One UI 5.1 installed. Bixby Custom Voice Creator will be available on the Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra. It will work on phones with One UI 5.0 or above installed.
    The Bixby updates will be disseminated this month through software updates.
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  • Spotify launches new feature powered by AI to enhance music curation

    Spotify launches new feature powered by AI to enhance music curation

    As more companies adopt AI (artificial intelligence), many services are getting new features that are now fully automated and less curated by the human touch. Spotify’s new AI DJ is meant to bring personalization to a new level.

    In an announcement earlier today, the music streaming service explains that its new feature is a personalized AI guide that “knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you.” It might sound frightening at first glance, but it’s exactly what many customers are looking for when using Spotify on a daily basis.

    Granted, the new DJ feature powered by AI is only rolling out in beta, it promises to provide customers with a curated lineup of music, as well as commentary around the tracks and artists that it thinks the user likes “in a realistic voice:”

    Among the many capabilities of the AI DJ, Spotify mentions the ability to sort through the latest music. It can also look back at some of the old favorites and serve more songs that the user might not have listened to for a long time.

    The AI DJ assesses your actions all the time and after each review, it tries to deliver a stream of songs picked specifically for you. More importantly, it refreshes the lineup based on feedback regularly.

    If you don’t like a song picked by the DJ, you can tap the dedicated button and it will skip to a new track. As with all these AI-powered features, the more you use the DJ, the faster it learns what you like, so the better your recommendations will be in the end.

    The new DJ feature is available via the Music Feed on Home in the Spotify mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Simply tap Play on the DJ card and the app will do the rest. You’ll be getting music and short commentary on the songs and artists specifically picked for you. Don’t forget that you can skip a song by tapping the DJ button at the bottom right of the screen.

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