Retail News CRM

Tag: asia

  • Singtel partners with Microsoft their first public MEC solution in Asia

    Singtel partners with Microsoft their first public MEC solution in Asia

    Singtel will launch the first Microsoft Azure Edge Zones integrated with Singtel’s 5G network, delivering multi-access edge compute (MEC) for enterprises in Asia. The solution combines the speed, hyperconnectivity, and high bandwidth of Singtel’s 5G network with Microsoft Azure services, enabling developers to deploy and manage mission-critical applications that require high throughput and low latency. It will boost business capabilities in areas such as metaverse-based real-time simulations, and live video analytics in a multi-tenant environment. Customers will be able to use their existing Azure subscriptions.

    Bill Chang, chief executive officer, group enterprise at Singtel said, “This collaboration is a key milestone for edge computing in Asia. We’re always looking for ways to support enterprises in leveraging the potential of 5G for digital transformation to drive innovation for the benefit of consumers, business users and entire industries. This solution enables enterprises to streamline the integration of 5G and MEC into business operations, facilitate the development of new solutions, and scale and transform their business.”

    In addition to running low-latency applications at the edge using Singtel’s 5G network, the solution has the potential to transform operations in sectors such as public safety, urban planning, healthcare, banking, civil service, transportation and logistics. It also offers public sector customers high security and better performance for end-users, enabling new intelligent edge scenarios.

    Customers can leverage these capabilities, only paying for the amount of compute and storage they use for the duration which they use it, replicating the cloud consumption model at the network edge and saving on additional operational overhead.

    Dr. Yousef Khalidi, corporate vice president Azure for operators, Microsoft said, “With Azure for operators, Singtel empowers its customers to unlock business value at the network edge. The integration of Azure compute services with Singtel’s 5G network will enable enterprises and developers to provide low-latency applications across industries such as public sector and healthcare.”

    The solution will be publicly available in the second half of 2022 for Azure customers in Singapore through the Azure portal to rapidly develop, test and deploy 5G applications such as autonomous guided vehicles, drones, robotics and virtual, augmented or mixed reality, at the edge of Singtel’s 5G network. Government agencies and enterprises of all sizes that have built their business applications and operations on Microsoft Azure’s plug-and-play cloud computing service can conveniently leverage the benefits of 5G and MEC as well.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • UBS Nabs Deutsche Bank Wealth Manager

    UBS Nabs Deutsche Bank Wealth Manager

    UBS Europe is adding a senior client advisor from Deutsche Bank to its wealth management team in Hamburg, catering to its growing client base there.

    Switzerland’s biggest bank is hiring Joerg Wilke as a senior client advisor for the rich and super-rich based in Hamburg, effective immediately, according to an article in Private Banking Magazin.

    Wilke, who advised high-net-worth individuals at Deutsche Bank for more than twenty years, joins the Hamburg branch of UBS Europe.

  • UBS Sets New Goals After Strong Performance

    UBS Sets New Goals After Strong Performance

    Switzerland’s biggest bank posts its best results in 15 years and lays down new environment, social, and governance goals.

    UBS reports net profit for the fourth quarter of $1.3 billion, up 17 percent from the same quarter in the previous year, the bank says in its earnings report Tuesday. Results were supported by favorable market conditions, enabling inflows of net new asset-generating fees within the bank’s global wealth management.

    For the financial year, 2021 net profit came to $7.5 billion, up from $6.6 billion in the previous year. Operating profit also rose for the full year, up 16 percent to $9.5 billion. This was after it took a $740 million hit due to litigation costs with France.

    Throughout the year the bank increased its sustainability efforts and impact investments to $251 billion from $141 billion. The bank will continue its focus on the environment, social, and governance (ESG) aspirations with a series of new goals.

    These include cutting CO2 emissions within its own operations to net-zero by 2025 as well as investing $235 billion in net-zero aligned assets by 2030. Separately the bank will allocate $400 billion to sustainability-focused assets.

    Philanthropy also features in its strategy with $1 billion of donations aimed at reaching 25 million beneficiaries by 2025.

    After exceeding its CET1 capital ratio target in 2021, the bank raised its CET1 capital guidance to 15 to 18 percent from 13 percent previously.

    The bank has proposed a dividend of $0.5 per share from $0.37 the year before. UBS’s share buybacks will also nearly double in 2022 from 2.6 billion in 2021.

    UBS is in better shape than ever. For the second year in a row, we achieved our targets, remained disciplined in our costs and saw strong contributions from all regions and divisions, Ralph Hamers, UBS’ group CEO, said in the statement.

  • UBS Puts Itself Under Pressure To Build on Strong Results

    UBS Puts Itself Under Pressure To Build on Strong Results

    After last year’s strong financial results Switzerland’s largest bank will struggle to outdo its previous performance as market conditions turn and markets get off to a bad start in 2022. 

    UBS’s financial results for the financial year 2021 exceeded expectations by far, even considering the large provisions it had to make for various legal cases, including its ongoing lawsuit in France.

    Several factors which influenced last year’s business are likely to do so again in 2022. There is also the threat of a slowdown in business activity, as top management acknowledged on Tuesday.

    1. Higher Return for Shareholders

    The proposed dividend of 50 cents per share for 2021 is significantly higher than the 37 cents paid in 2020. This underscores the bank’s intention to let shareholders participate in its success. Continued share buybacks, which the bank also announced on Tuesday, will additionally contribute to an earnings squeeze in the future.

    2. Investment in Technology

    Aware of the fact that banks are now more like IT companies or platforms, UBS is not only expanding its digital offering (see point 6), but it also intends to focus more on technology. It has set itself the goal to invest around 10 percent of its earnings in technology in the future. However, doing so will merely allow it to catch up with its competitors.

    3. The French Legal Sword of Damocles

    The good result is clouded by high provisions for the court case in France. This is mainly reflected in the fourth quarter 2021 figures in global wealth management (GWM) and in the Swiss unit (personal & corporate banking). The latest provisions were booked in these two units.

    The court in Paris is demanding a total payment of 1.8 billion euros, which UBS is again appealing. In the fourth quarter of 2021, the bank set aside 650 million euros, bringing the total amount of provisions to 1.1 billion euros. The outcome of the proceedings are still open and likely to impact the bank’s share performance to some extent in the current year.

    4. A Bouquet of New Targets

    Against the backdrop of good performance and taking into account that CEO Ralph Hamers had not formulated any new targets since taking office in the fall of 2020, UBS has set out business and ESG ambitions for the first time and adjusted its financial targets.

    The changes appear to be relatively modest. It’s therefore unsurprising that top management expressed confidence Tuesday morning in achieving these targets this year or, depending on the definition, «over the cycle» market conditions permitting and the strategic plan can continue to be successfully implemented.

    5. Major savings still ahead

    The favorable results don’t obscure the fact that UBS and its employees still face enormous cost-cutting efforts. By 2023, the bank aims to save a total of 1 billion dollars by streamlining structures, exiting additional markets and by increasing automation and simplifying processes.

    Last year, UBS saved 200 million dollars, with the figure set to double to 400 million dollars, and a further 400 million in 2023. This is the only way UBS will be able to realize its growth plans (see point seven).

    6. Digital Offering

    With its recent acquisition of California-based digital wealth manager Wealthfront, UBS has reaffirmed its intention to target younger, less affluent clients abroad. As Hamers explained on Tuesday, this was just the beginning.

    The bank also wants to target similar clientele in Asia, namely China, a spokesman emphasized. Furthermore, the bank is seeking additional partnerships (joint ventures) in other countries for further expansion, as is already the case with Sumitomo (for wealth management) in Japan and with Banco do Brasil (in investment banking).

    7. Outlook: Trees Don’t Grow To The Sky

    UBS’s good performance last year cannot necessarily be used as a blueprint for 2022 , even if many investors are currently convinced that it will be. On Tuesday morning, UBS shares gained more than 6 percent on the stock market.

    At the same time, a bank spokesman acknowledged that client activity had been very subdued in the first month of this year, with the level of optimism among clientele falling in recent surveys. In fact, some clients may be looking for bargain entry prices after recent turmoil in financial markets. Still, the proportion of cash in portfolios is still quite high at 23 percent.

    In Asia, growth is likely to be more subdued in 2022 than it already is, as seen by the sharp decline in Lombard loans, while costs in this extremely competitive market remain high. The cost/income ratio (CIR) already increased slightly last year, and unless the rigorous cost-cutting measures in the group are fully implemented, it will probably be difficult to reduce the CIR.

    Against this background, it isn’t surprising the new growth target for pre-tax profit in global wealth management (GWM) of 10 to 15 percent has been set relatively cautiously.

    Several central banks have ushered in a new era in the financial markets with their now more restrictive monetary policies. Under these premises, stock market appreciation and thus growth in customer portfolios is likely to be more leisurely.

  • YouTube for Android gets new look in fullscreen mode

    YouTube for Android gets new look in fullscreen mode

    The YouTube app for Android is receiving a new look starting today when videos are viewed in fullscreen. If you turn your phone into landscape mode while viewing a YouTube video and press pause, you’ll notice something new. On the bottom of the left side of the display, there are thin outlines of new icons that allow you to like the video, dislike it, comment about the video, add it to a playlist, or share it with someone else.

    On the bottom right of the fullscreen view is an icon showing multiple videos in fullscreen mode alongside the words: “More Videos, Tap to see all.” When you tap on it, a carousel surfaces to show other videos that you might find interesting. The video timeline is moved a little higher and the three-dot settings icon on the upper right corner is turned into the gear icon used to represent the settings menu on several other apps (although that change was made for both the landscape and portrait modes of YouTube).

    Lastly, tapping on the small upside-down pointer, triangle, or chevron (whatever you want to call it) next to the title of a video will bring up the description of it with the number of likes, the number of views, and the date that the video was first posted on YouTube. This is where some videos will have a written description and some will be broken down by chapters making them easier to navigate.

    The new fullscreen UI for YouTube has been rolling out today from Google to Android users while iOS users will have to wait for the new look UI.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Vegan food platform VEats launches in Sydney

    Vegan food platform VEats launches in Sydney

    Founded by Australian duo Lara Young and Susan McCarthy, VEats is a new plant-based platform focussed on helping consumers looking for convenient plant-based options in the country. They describe the digital solution as a “first-of-its-kind” for the market, enabling users to explore all businesses with animal-free food options within a designated city. Whilst a user finds a restaurant they want to go to on the site, tables can be booked at restaurants, food can be ordered for delivery and takeaways can be queued.

    The Australian-based VEats platform is currently being piloted, with a Sydney-first rollout. Coordinating the launch to happen as part of Veganuary, the founding team is thinking on an international scale. U.K. expansion is in the planning stage, with Brighton and London as first targets. Bamford Capital is on board as an equity partner and business advisor for domestic and global ambitions.

    Young and McCarthy have more than three decades of combined business and marketing expertise. The two have worked together before, they created a joint digital marketing agency. VEats is being launched alongside as something of a passion project, particularly for Young.

    “Having grown up as a meat-eater all my life, it never crossed my mind that there was another way of living,” she explained in a press statement. “At the age of 36 I was overweight, overworked, managing being a wife, a mother of three, running two businesses, and everything else life had to throw at me. Food was always there to comfort me.

    “Being a massive foodie, I had to learn about a whole new way of eating. The journey wasn’t easy and I spent hours and days researching restaurants, checking menus, calling ahead to get them to accommodate me, and trying to veganise food through other delivery platforms. I knew that if it was hard for me, it would be hard for anyone trying to make the transition to plant-based eating. That’s when I had the idea for VEats.”

    Young and McCarthy say they have 600 businesses listed on the VEats platform already, spanning the breadth of Sydney. Included are fully plant-based companies, as well as any offering three or more animal-free food options. The two are confident that as Veganuary comes to a close, more than 50 directory inclusions will offer table booking and delivery options. Sydney was selected for the pilot launch due to its plethora of vegan hubs. Newtown has become synonymous with plant-based eating, with its ‘vegan mile’ reportedly growing by the week.

    Confirmed restaurant partners include KoshariKorner, Gigi Pizzeria and recently-opened Flave. Meal delivery service Just Add Vegan has linked up as well. In a coup for the founders, Australia’s leading online ordering platform Order Up! has come on board. It will give directory-listed businesses cost-effective access to ordering and pick-up functionalities. “We are proud to be partnering with the team at VEats to help make plant-based eating easy and accessible in your everyday life,” Clive Thorpe, CCO of Order Up! said in a statement.

    Australia is making strides to become a leading producer of animal-free products. Wide Open Agriculture is a perfect example of a domestic company seeking to disrupt the status quo. In this case, the dairy industry, which is the country’s fourth largest sector. Having bagged $20 million at the end of last year to ramp up production of plant milk, it represents a significant consumer mindset shift.

    Fellow Australian brand ProForm Foods received in the region of $5 million last year, from Harvest Road. With new facilities completed, expansion of a Sydney location is planned, alongside global distribution.

    It’s not all positive news, however. Australia’s meat industry has taken umbrage at the rise in popularity of animal-free foods. It claims that consumers are confused by packaging and are accidentally buying and eating plant-based meats. Supported by a survey paid for by various meat, seafood and poultry companies.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Royal Enfield Classic 350 Launched In Australia, New Zealand

    Royal Enfield Classic 350 Launched In Australia, New Zealand

    Royal Enfield is expanding the presence of the new Classic 350 across the world, and the Asia Pacific region, and has now launched the all-new Classic 350 in Australia and New Zealand. The new model will be available in four variants, the Halcyon, Classic Signals, Classic Dark and Classic Chrome, each offering unique color options and styling options. In recent days, the Classic 350 has been launched in the UK, and the Philippines, and now the company has launched its most popular model in Australia and New Zealand.

    Pricing for the 2022 Royal Enfield Classic 350 range will start at AUD 7,990 (approximately ₹ 4.21 lakh) in Australia for the Halcyon series. The Signals series has been priced at AUD 8,290 (approximately ₹ 4.37 lakh), while the Dark Series and Chrome Series will be priced at AUD 8,690 (approximately ₹ 4.58 lakh) and AUD 8,790 (approximately ₹ 4.63 lakh) respectively.

    The all-new Classic 350 is the second model to be based on the same platform as the Meteor 350, with the two models sharing quite a few components, including the new J-series Royal Enfield 350 cc single-cylinder engine. The new-generation Classic 350 was launched in India last year, and gets a complete makeover, with a new, more modern engine, new chassis, updated suspension, new wheels, and brakes.

    The 349 cc, the single-cylinder engine makes 20.2 bhp at 6,100 rpm, and 27 Nm at 4,000 rpm. The compression ratio has changed to 9.5:1 on the new 350 cc SOHC engine from 8.5:1 on the UCE 350 engine. The cam gears have been replaced with a timing chain, along with the SOHC system, which results in less noise and more efficient valve timings. The chain primary drive has been replaced with gear primary drive, which reduces transmission losses, and the primary balancer shaft reduces vibrations on the engine.

    The legacy of the Classic dates back to 1948 with the Royal Enfield Model G2, the first to have swinging arm rear suspension on a full production motorcycle. The Model G2 served as a strong design inspiration for the hugely popular Classic 500 and Classic 350 launched in 2008. The Classic 350, in fact, went on to become the highest-selling Royal Enfield model since then, accounting for 70-80 percent of the brand’s sales over the past decade or so. Even now, the Classic 350 accounts for 60-70 percent of the brand’s overall sales, but so far, these numbers have been limited to the domestic market of India.

    In the 12 years since the modern Royal Enfield Classic was first launched, it has built a legacy of its own, selling over 3 million (30 lakh) motorcycles. The Classic has also emerged as the motorcycle that redefined the middleweight motorcycling space and spawned the revival of Royal Enfield. And this time around, with the new Classic 350, Royal Enfield is positioning it as a global product, hoping to repeat some of its commercial success around the world.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Apple to celebrate Valentine’s Day with new health features

    Apple to celebrate Valentine’s Day with new health features

    Valentine’s Day may be on February 14th, but American Heart Month is set to last the entire month—and Apple is greeting it with a few aces up its sleeve.

    Needless to say, all of Apple’s Heart Month specials are health-related, and the Apple Watch in particular is getting a few new limited-time features to encourage users to get up and moving—all with the goal of having a healthier body and mind.

    For starters, if you complete Apple’s new Health Month Activity Challenge on Valentine’s Day, you will win a custom iMessage sticker coupled with an exclusive award. The challenge isn’t daunting by any means; it’s just 30 minutes of exercise to complete Apple’s activity ring that wins you these prizes.

    Apart from that, all month long, Apple will be including a special featured set of 30-minute workouts on Apple Fitness+. The “Time to Walk” experience, which was unveiled at around the same time last year, is receiving a new episode featuring Georges St-Pierre, a former Canadian mixed martial arts champion.

    To make use of these additions, you’d need an Apple+ membership—which comes with a free trial for three months, then costs $9.99 a month afterward.

    “We’re strong believers at Apple that if you can empower people with information about their health, you can change the trajectory of their well-being,” stated Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.

    “Keeping your heart healthy requires a holistic approach — something we’ve focused on since the first generation of Apple Watch with the inclusion of activity and workout apps, in addition to heart rate. Today, people of all ages can use our products and services to learn more about staying healthy, work toward their personal goals, and have a lot of fun along the way.”

    Along with the Apple Watch-exclusive features, Apple is also going to be offering new custom compilations across Apple Fitness+, the App Store, Apple TV, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Books, according to Apple’s newsroom post.

    You’ve got to give it to Apple for giving users’ health some extra attention this month; both physical and mental health have been difficult to maintain in light of recent events, and this may just make things just a tad easier.

    Lees ook:

  • New feature begins rolling out for YouTube Music called “Recommended radios”

    New feature begins rolling out for YouTube Music called “Recommended radios”

    YouTube Music is rolling out a feature called “Recommended radios.” Instead of radio stations created from a single song, the new feature creates a station from multiple songs and artists and recommends it to users. You can press the home tab button and scroll about halfway down the page to find the new “Recommend radios” carousel if it has already hit your phone. There are 10 stations shown with the carousel and they update every time you refresh the feed.

    Each station mentions up to three songs that provided the inspiration for that particular station. Each station is named after the title of a band or the genre that the station covers. And the name of the decade associated with the music is often included.

    With the mobile version of YouTube Music, tapping on one of the stations will bring up the playlist page (as opposed to auto-playing the station when you click on it with the desktop version). A Reddit user who goes by the handle of “Fuyou_lilienthal_yu” said, “This tab was just there when I scrolled down on the app. It seems to be like the Mixes except it gives you a specific theme like “Sangatsu no Phantasia, Deep cuts” and then having a playlist with probably SnP’s entire discography.”

    He adds, “Other playlists seem to be stuff like XXX Discovery radio where it’s full of presumably similar songs as the source artist. There doesn’t seem to be a limit to how many songs are allowed on a single radio, the first one in the list was something like “Gen Hoshino Radio” or whatever and it had a seemingly endless scroll of music…All in all it seems cool, more ways for them to help you to listen to music the better.”

    The YouTube Music app is available for both iOS and Android, and the new feature started rolling out this past weekend although not everyone has it yet. For example, we have yet to see it on our Pixel 6 Pro running Android 12.

  • Google fixes the issue of Android Auto not displaying messages

    Google fixes the issue of Android Auto not displaying messages

    Google has fixed an issue preventing Android Auto from displaying messages on a car’s screen. To receive the fix, you need to update your Android Auto and Messages app to the latest versions. Google did not explain what the cause of the problem was.

    Google’s fix comes in response to several customer complaints on Android Auto’s support page. Several users reported that after updating their phones to Android 12, their cars stopped showing the received messages.

    A user shared in a post: “For the past three weeks, Android Auto has stopped showing new text or other messages. If music is playing and a new message comes in, the music is turned down briefly as if to allow the new message notification to sound, but no sound and no message comes to the auto display, even though new messages have arrived on the phone.”

    Not showing received messages isn’t the only issue Android Auto users have encountered recently. As we previously reported, users who had updated their Android Auto app encountered a problem with Google Maps not appearing on their cars’ screens when they had their phones connected to their vehicles. Although the issue has been reported, it still remains for Google to roll out a fix for that problem too.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • WhatsApp’s unlimited Google Drive backups may be coming to an end

    WhatsApp’s unlimited Google Drive backups may be coming to an end

    So far, WhatsApp has been offering unlimited storage on Google Drive for WhatsApp backups. The company offers backup options to iCloud as well (for iPhone users), there, it has been limited to whatever storage tier the iPhone user has. Now, something similar might be happening for Android users.

    The popular chat app seems to be planning a change regarding backups on Android phones. Lines in the code of the app point to the fact that WhatsApp may be losing its unlimited Google Drive storage option for backups. This news comes after the info that WhatsApp could be letting you manage the size of your backup in the near future.

    The code was first discovered by WABetaInfo, and it is a hidden code that references Google Drive limits.

    Keep in mind that the date on which this will happen is still unknown, so for now, you can still benefit from unlimited storage on Google Drive. The thing is that the arrangement with Google allowed WhatsApp backups to now count against the users’ Google Drive storage.

    However, WhatsApp seems to be planning to include a storage limit, but the exact limits the app will impose are not yet clear. Hopefully, the backup storage for WhatsApp won’t count towards the 15GB limit for the free tier (but this is, at this point in time, unconfirmed).

    This information comes after WABetaInfo discovered an upcoming WhatsApp feature that will allow you to manage your WhatsApp backup size on Android. This feature will allow you to customize what items get backed up, and exclude certain types of files from the backup. Files you might be able to exclude are photos, documents, and videos.

    Judging by that, it seems WhatsApp is really in the works of imposing backup limitations for Android users of the app. With the ability to manage your Google Drive backup, WhatsApp will be giving you options to save some storage space (if your chat backups are getting too big).

    All that being said, WhatsApp ditching unlimited Google Drive storage shouldn’t come as a surprise, after the fact that Google abandoned unlimited Google Photos backups last year. It seems the Mountain View tech giant is pushing for paid storage plans, and this seems to be reflected in the WhatsApp backup limitations that are currently in the works as well.

    A few months ago, WABetaInfo showcased the feature (currently under development) that will enable you to have tighter control on what gets backed up to Google Drive from the app itself.

    As you can see in the image below, the app will be offering ways for you to modify what gets backed up to Google Drive and what to exclude (probably in order to save space from your Google Drive storage).

    The feature seen above could be included in a future update of WhatsApp, and it definitely should if WhatsApp will be limiting the backup storage. Both of these two features don’t have an official release date yet, but we’ll make sure to inform you if they go official.

    For now, as we mentioned above, WhatsApp backups still don’t count against your Google Drive storage quota because of an agreement between WhatsApp and Google.WhatsApp has been getting loads of updates and planning lots of new features for its interface and users. Recently, we reported on the fact iPad users might finally be getting a WhatsApp app designed specifically for the iPad. Another useful feature that might be coming soon will be the ability to easily transfer chats from Android to iOS.

  • Netflix indirectly confirms Exynos 2200 launch with Galaxy S22

    Netflix indirectly confirms Exynos 2200 launch with Galaxy S22

    The release of Samsung’s latest flagship series, the Galaxy S22 family, is just around the corner. This fact alone guarantees an increasing influx of leaks as the day approaches, and the latest one comes in the form of Netflix indirectly confirming the Exynos 2200 chipset in the Galaxy S22.

    Netflix has always kept a detailed list of specific chipsets, as well as mobile devices, that are supported by the streaming platform—and an Exynos 2200 has just been added to the mix, as XDA Developers reports.

    As far as we already knew, the Korean tech giant has been long in developing the Exynos 2200 processing chipset especially for use in the Galaxy S22 series, and Netflix has already more or less confirmed this fact. We can be sure that we’ll see the new chipset debut with the new series now, without fear of chip shortage-induced delays postponing the chip to a further generation.

    If Samsung keeps to tradition, the versions of the S22 series equipped with the Exynos 2200 processor will be available all throughout Europe, while the models sold in United States, China, and India will be “stuck” with the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset.

    While the United States certainly aren’t getting the short end of the straw in this case, Verizon has been pressuring Samsung for the Exynos 2200 version for a while now. And if Samsung concedes, this means U.S. citizens will also have access to the revolutionary ray-tracing technology in the in-house chipset, which is a first in the industry.

    The release date of the Samsung Galaxy S22 has been officially set for February 9, and the company has even opened a “reserve” option for users who want to get their hands on Samsung’s latest and greatest. Reserving a model before the big day also guarantees you a $50 credit towards accessories.

    As for a quick refresher on the specs, the new series will pack displays ever so slightly smaller than the S21 series. The base model will have 6.1 inches of screen real estate, the middle model will have a 6.6-inch panel, and the Ultra will be a 6.8-inch giant—same as the S21 Ultra, in fact.

    The Galaxy S22 Ultra is rumored to be more akin to the Galaxy Note series than any S-series predecessor, packing an S Pen slot as well as a curved display. Remember, the S Pen is a defining characteristic of the productivity-oriented Galaxy Note family, and it will be more than interesting to see it with this top-of-the-line flagship.

    The Galaxy S22+, on the other hand, promises the perfect middle ground for the average user, who wants Ultra-level power and features, along with a much lighter and more compact form factor. Because let’s face it: the S Pen slot will add a very noticeable difference in girth and weight to the top model.

    As for the S22 batteries, they are known to be getting significant downgrades in terms of capacity—a fact which has left us questioning whether it will be truly compensated by the boost in more efficient and less power-hungry new chipset. According to reliable sources, the three models are expected to feature 3,700 mAh, 4,500 mAh, and 5,000 mAh batteries, respectively.

    We already know about the Exynos 2200 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset situation, so that leaves the S22 cameras. The S22 Ultra will feature a quad-camera setup with a 108MP main shooter, two 10MP telephoto cameras, and a 12MP ultra-wide lens.

    The Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, on the other hand, will feature identical triple-camera setups with a 50MP main camera, a 12MP telephoto with OIS stabilization, and a 12MP ultra-wide.

    As per most leaks, it appears all the S22 models will keep more or less the same design as their S21 counterparts—save, of course for the deviant S22 Ultra.

    Lees ook:

  • Rubber firms’ profits surge

    Rubber firms’ profits surge

    Many rubber companies reported higher profits in the fourth quarter of last year as export prices rose sharply.

    The Vietnam Rubber Group Joint Stock Company’s gross profits were up 27 percent year-on-year to VND2.1 trillion on revenues of VND7.46 billion ($324.3 million), up 20 percent.

    The Thong Nhat Rubber Joint Stock Company reported a 250 percent rise in profits to VND6 billion as revenues more than doubled to VND32 billion.

    Hoa Binh Rubber Joint Stock Company saw a similar rise in profits to VND19 billion, and Dong Phu Rubber Joint Stock Company said it was up 6.8 times to VND278 billion.

    The rubbers industry saw profits surge since mid-2021 even as the Covid-19 pandemic peaked, thanks to the sharp increase in latex prices.

    According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, rubber exports rose by 37.5 percent to $3.28 billion in full-year 2021, making Vietnam the third-biggest exporter. It sells rubber to over 80 markets, including China, India, South Korea, Germany, and the U.S.

    The Vietnam Rubber Association expects global rubber prices to keep increasing sharply in 2022-24 because of declining supply.

    But the Agency of Foreign Trade does not concur with this assessment, saying prices would continue to rise only in the short term as many countries grapple with the Omicron variant of Covid and cut auto production.

    Lees ook:

  • Vietnamese coffee industry game changer

    Vietnamese coffee industry game changer

    King Coffee has a presence in 120 countries and is still on its way to expand further on the world map. Expo is a 170-year old event that takes place every five years, gathering businesspeople from more than 190 countries. This expo showcases all the remarkable events of a country’s past, present, and future. This is an extremely great opportunity for King Coffee to reach more than 190 countries at once.

    Appearing at Expo 2020 Dubai, King Coffee has represented the coffee industry and Vietnam’s agriculture. We have cooperated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organize activities to promote Vietnamese coffee to the world for six months (October 2021 – March 2022), especially the event of Vietnam National Day (Dec. 30, 2021) and Vietnam Coffee Week (Jan. 1, 2022).

    As a major coffee brand, we participated in coffee-related activities during this event. All visitors really enjoyed our coffee, which impressed them by quality.

    When we introduced Vietnamese coffee during Vietnam Coffee Week, visitors were surprised by egg coffee, Ede coffee, iced-milk coffee… They enjoyed learning how to use coffee filters, and discovering the philosophy of softness, lightness, sophistication to create a perfect cup of coffee compared to using compact espresso machines.

    The exhibition is already halfway through and we have left our mark and accomplished our targets.

    -How has King Coffee connected Vietnamese businesses to Dubai Gateway?

    At Expo Dubai, King Coffee aims to promote coffee culture and development strategies for the coffee industry, and at the same time, widely inform businesses in other industries in Vietnam, who also consider this a great opportunity to go global.

    We worked with Viettravel to engage most associations in all industries, supporting them to participate in this expo. Up to now, hundreds of Vietnamese businesses have gathered here. Expo Dubai makes it easy to set up an online exhibition channel, allowing businesses that are unable to attend offline events due to Covid-19 to participate, and promote their images. Meanwhile, we can follow all the events on social media channels and grab opportunities from Expo.

    Since October 2021, we have done a wonderful job of connecting businesses in Dubai, and at the same time, promote our country. Dubai is an iconic city with a significant impact in 22 Arab countries. By having a presence in Dubai, businesses would enjoy many opportunities to access this market.Expo also organizes a National Day for participating countries. If a country has a potential industry, enterprises in that country might be invited to gather on National Day to find collaboration opportunities.

    First autobiography

    What excites you the most at Expo 2020 Dubai?

    I have a clear goal in everything I do. When I decided to attend Expo 2020 Dubai, I thought about what would make King Coffee stand out and shine there. I started writing the book “The Queen of King Coffee” from the beginning of 2021, in order to release it at Expo Dubai. Without travel or business trips during the pandemic, I had more time for the book.

    While publications regarding the Vietnam War are widely available, English-language books about Vietnamese culture, people, and business opportunities in Vietnam are scarce. Therefore, I decided to launch a book to introduce Vietnamese coffee and the country’s coffee culture to the world. This event drew the attention of the international media. Expo Dubai organizers also promoted this book on their media channels, reaching 192 countries.

    The book was released on Dec. 29, 2021. More than 100 newspapers around the world have reported on King Coffee and the book. I am very happy to tell the story of Vietnamese coffee. I also published the book on Amazon, and it has received positive feedback from readers. When someone places an order, Amazon prints the book and delivers it to the customer.

    As planned, the book will be translated into several languages, first in Arabic to reach 22 Arab countries. When I released the book in Dubai, local businesspeople wanted me to take part in many activities to talk to women, young people about starting a business, not just the book. They want to translate the book into Arabic to make it reach more people.

    They are impressed with the image of women running startups, not only in the coffee sector but also other industries. The book offers them a lot of information. In fact, women are being encouraged to step out of their comfort zone and obtain freedom in doing business. I expect my book to motivate them to be more confident.

    Will the book be available in Vietnamese?

    The book is expected to be released in March in Vietnam, followed by Vietnamese and English versions in June 7 in the U.S. Many readers in the U.S. told me they were looking forward to the premiere.

    The Vietnamese book is not a translated version from English but a different one. The book is a guide for startups and women to balance life and business, as well as female leaders’ responsibilities and aspirations for their country.

    If the English book represents the world’s view of Vietnam, the Vietnamese version describes the viewpoint of a coffee business leader.

    I was a business leader for more than 20 years, but I didn’t let people get to know me. This was good for my family before, but not so good for me when something went wrong.What do you expect from this book?

    I think a female leader should balance her reputation and personal life to proactively play the right role, which will strengthen the business.

    Everyone may know my important decisions to establish the Trung Nguyen and G7 brands, the journey to make them successful not only in the country but also around the world.

    For me, every challenge can be dealt with. When you know how to overcome it, you can strengthen your position.

    Do you have any ideas for your next book?

    Because I am a coffee aficionado, the next book might be “The Master of Coffee” by a coffee specialist. In order to promote Vietnamese coffee, I also have to do many other things. King Coffee will have a chain of coffee shops around the world, and its products will be available in supermarkets all over the world. I want to introduce the very unique and different ideas and culture of Vietnamese coffee to the world. Surely it will be worthy of world recognition.

    World record for Vietnamese Robusta

    Why are you so devoted to coffee?

    I was born and raised in a coffee region. Since I was a child, I witnessed the coffee price drop after bountiful crops, and vice versa. Coffee prices were very low and precarious. The farmers had no idea what the outside world was like. In the coffee ecosystem or global value chain, the farmer segment generated very small value.

    At that time, in my knowledge, there were many well-known coffee companies in countries that did not grow coffee like Sweden, the U.S… I always wondered why they could do it but we couldn’t?

    During 1975–1986, coffee was considered a luxury commodity. I clearly saw that coffee was in great demand, so why not make coffee popular? While coffee had so many benefits, like boosting creativity and concentration, efficiency at work, why didn’t we give coffee a chance to live?

    More than 20 years ago, we hardly saw coffee in supermarkets, but today coffee occupies six shelves at Coopmart. Visitors to Vietnam give priority to buying Vietnamese coffee to bring home because of its good quality. That is a good foundation to promote Vietnamese coffee, as well as King Coffee, in the world market.

    In October 2021, The World Records Union recognized Vietnam as the largest producer and exporter of Robusta coffee. How did this affect Vietnamese coffee?

    It is a historic milestone because Vietnam’s coffee industry had endured several hundred years to achieve a world record.

    I believe Vietnamese coffee has all the conditions to achieve a world record. Although facing many difficulties in persuading associations or state agencies to consider coffee a national asset, I am still determined to push for the World Records Union to recognize Vietnam as a the largest Robusta coffee producer and exporter in terms of output and productivity, along with heritages of the unique and distinctive art of brewing (Ede coffee, racquet coffee, filter coffee), the art of blending and enjoying diverse, creative and unique coffee through drinks and dishes (egg coffee, iced milk coffee…). When I announced this record at Expo Dubai, all the visitors burst into applause and paid special attention to King Coffee.

    It is worth mentioning the World Records Union has recognized specially prepared Vietnamese coffees like iced milk, egg coffee, and Ede coffee. Here, we are mixing different types of coffee together to create a more tasty, unique cup of coffee, all without the use of flavorings and chemicals. The recognition of the art of blending is useful for coffee makers to improve their products.

    In addition, I see many other opportunities to spread awareness and responsibility among the coffee business community, including using reputable branded products. That paves a way to create sustainable development for the coffee industry.

    What are your expectations for the development of Vietnamese coffee in 2022?

    Despite Covid-19, the coffee industry still grew in 2021. Although coffee shops had to close, the products were still delivered to the door. People usually consumed 1-2 cups of coffee per day, but 3-4 glasses during the pandemic. The global coffee industry grew by 4 percent last year, also in Vietnam.

    I think Vietnam needs to quickly develop strategies for the coffee industry, to take advantage pf huge opportunities in the next five years with the law of supply and demand. If we don’t, other countries will do better, and surpass us. This is a very good time for Vietnam to reflect, prepare a solid strategy to create a game changer for the whole coffee industry.

    What do you usually think during the Tet holiday?

    Leaders need to pay more attention to their employees at any time, especially in this pandemic period. They should be concerned about how to keep employees safe, fully vaccinated, and unaffacted by the pandemic. Motivation from the leader also helps employees have a more positive mindset, thereby maintaining operations.

    Tet is a time that brings family together. I miss my father very much, who passed away more than 20 years ago. My Tet grew warmer with him. The street around my house would be lit by fireworks. Everyone drank champagne, congratulated each other. He taught me to understand myself, the value of living life. Dad also taught me little things. I miss my father very much and miss Tet holidays with him. Now my family often tells stories about him at gatherings. When all members are united, the family always feels warm and happy.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Taxi firm Vinasun lays off 2,500 employees

    Taxi firm Vinasun lays off 2,500 employees

    Taxi company Vinasun laid off more than 2,500 employees, including some 1,800 drivers last year with the Covid-19 pandemic causing the business to shrink significantly.

    According to its newly released financial report, Vinasun had 1,877 employees at the end of 2021, down more than 2,500 people against the beginning of the year. It laid off some 1,900 employees in the last quarter alone.

    The recovery of the transport market after the prolonged social distancing was not as fast as expected, resulting in low workload and a large number of cars idling in in parking lots, Vinasun deputy general director Ta Long Hy told VnExpress Saturday, explaining the downsizing,

    “Some people wanted to change jobs, return to their hometowns or were stranded in pandemic-hit areas, which was another contributing factor to the sharp increase in the people leaving their jobs,” he added.

    2021 is the third consecutive year Vinasun has drastically cut its staff. It had laid off approximately 1,000 and 1,400 people in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

    Vinasun recorded revenues of VND484 billion ($21 million) last year, down more than 50 percent against 2020, and made after-tax losses of VND280 billion, nearly four times its original estimate.

    The company has been making losses for two consecutive years and if the situation does not improve this year, its stock may be delisted on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange.