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Tag: asia

  • Google Maps takes drivers down a potentially fatal route following a major snowstorm

    Google Maps takes drivers down a potentially fatal route following a major snowstorm

    By most accounts, Google Maps does a damn good job navigating from point “A” to point “B,” helping users safely get to their destination in the fastest possible time. And once you get to that destination, Google Maps will tell you where to go for dinner, the must-see places in that city, and where you can find a place to stay. But Google Maps does have its moments, as rare as they are when something goes wrong.

    According to SF Gate, travelers in Lake Tahoe were directed by Google Maps to drive on roads that were closed or dangerous thanks to record-breaking snowfall. A tweet from Crystal A. Kolden (@pyrogeog) was sent to Google Maps with a screenshot showing the route between Sacramento, California, and Reno, Nevada.

    Kolden told Google Maps that “This is an abject failure. You are sending people up a poorly maintained forest road to their death in a severe blizzard. Hire people who can address winter storms in your code (or maybe get some of your engineers who are stuck in Tahoe right now on it).”

    The directions recommended by Google Maps take travelers through Marysville Road described as a “narrow two-lane path going through the Tahoe National Forest.” Another Twitter user tried to warn those using the Android version of the Google Maps app by writing, “The Android mobile app does not seem to be showing road closures. This is a big freaking deal and could lead to some dangerous situations.”

    Even the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) got into the act with a tweet that said, “PSA for those trying to use Rollins Lake to sneak past the I-80 closure: You. Will. Not. Get. Through. I-80 remains CLOSED between Applegate and the Nevada state line. You will be turned around and you’re putting crews at risk who are working to clear downed trees, snow, etc.”

    Google Maps is usually quite adept at making route changes if an accident or weather slows down travel, but not in all cases such as this one. The National Weather Service (NWS) says that five to nine feet of snow have fallen in the Lake Tahoe area over the last week and the conditions are not expected to get better soon.

    If you travel or commute in areas of the country where snow, sleet, and icy roads are often an issue, besides installing Google Maps, you should also include a major weather app such as The Weather Channel, or Accuweather. Make sure to allow notifications and this way you’ll receive alerts whenever wintry weather is going to make driving hazardous.

    You might recall that Apple Maps put some of its users in danger back when the app was first released by Apple in 2012. Unlike the current situation, the problem was with the app itself, not the weather. Apple mislabeled a dangerous part of the Outback in Australia which led travelers to drive through an area with very little water, temperatures as high as 115 degrees, with poisonous snakes on the ground.

    Eventually, Apple was able to clear this up. As for the situation with Google Maps, the weather is expected to keep road conditions for this route dangerous for a few days.

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  • Netstars Vietnam partners with M-service to promote non-cash payment for TeteShop users

    Netstars Vietnam partners with M-service to promote non-cash payment for TeteShop users

    Netstars Vietnam will cooperate with Mobile Online Services JSC (M service) to provide grocery stores with payment solutions both online and offline.

    The collaboration agreement signed by Netstars Vietnam Co., Lt (Netstars Vietnam), a member of the multinational fintech startup Netstars, and M service, a leading fintech company that operates the Momo super app in Vietnam, aims to promote non-cash payment services and digital merchant tools for grocery stores in Vietnam.

    Amid the Covid pandemic, most traditional business activities are being affected. The partnership intends to enable grocery stores to easily receive payments both online and offline via the Tete Shop service, a smartphone-based shop management application for grocery stores with more than 10,000 registered shops. This will help merchants reduce physical contact and reduce the risk of Covid infection.

    Currently, Momo has more than 25 million users in Vietnam.

    While Netstars has a great market share in multi QR payment solutions in the Japan market, its local arm has integrated with most leading banks and e-wallets in Vietnam, accepting payments from more than 80 percent of mobile banking and e-wallet applications on the market.

    Along with payment solutions, Netstars Vietnam also provides a smartphone-based shop management app Tete Shop for grocery stores with more than 10,000 registered outlets.

    Netstars Vietnam has demonstrated its commitment to bring professional solutions to grocery stores and its passion to contribute to the development of Vietnam. Both parties plan to jointly promote and expand the Tete Shop and Momo Super app to remote, rural, and isolated areas with the goal of providing digital transformation to 1.4 million grocery stores in Vietnam.

  • Tesla Launches New Model Y and Model 3 With AMD Chips

    Tesla Launches New Model Y and Model 3 With AMD Chips

    Tesla had launched the new Model S and Model X which were equipped with AMD RDNA 2 based GPUs that deliver performance that’s comparable to the PlayStation 5 (PS5). And now, as revealed by a leak from its test program in Europe, it has also launched new models of the Model Y and Model 3 which have the very same chip powering the infotainment screen. This is true for models that have been manufactured in China. This is particularly true for the performance edition of the Model Y in China.

    Now, this is interesting as authorities in the US have opened an investigation into Tesla’s implementation of triple-A games that operate from the main infotainment panel facilitated by this AMD GPU that packs 10 teraflops for computing power. Tesla has even said that it will be pushing out a software update in the US to disable this feature.

    But it looks like Tesla is going ahead with the implementation of this feature in markets outside of the US. And considering the global semiconductor shortage, this chip must have been hard to procure as both Sony and Microsoft can’t get enough for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox One Series X – so Tesla could’ve gone for something not as powerful but it is motoring ahead.

    In addition to this chip, these new cars also come with a new 12-volt battery system that will be susceptible to fewer failures. Tesla’s have been prone to battery issues which is why this is a welcome change and will make the Tesla experience more reliable.

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  • Vietnamese carriers open ticket sales for international flights

    Vietnamese carriers open ticket sales for international flights

    Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways have opened ticket sales to several locations including the U.S., Japan and Taiwan, signaling the resumption of international travel on New Year’s Day.

    National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines is offering tickets between HCMC and Phnom Penh in Cambodia, with one-way prices starting at VND2.5 million ($109.54). From Hanoi to Tokyo, the starting fare is VND11.7 million; and from HCMC to San Francisco, VND21.2 million.

    All flights are scheduled for January 1, 5 and 9, respectively.

    Vietnam Airlines is not offering tickets to Singapore and Taipei yet, even though it has received permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to reopen flights on these routes.

    Meanwhile, private airline Bamboo Airways is offering tickets from Hanoi to Taipei at VND4.5 million one-way once a week starting January 5.

    Round-trip tickets are not being offered at this point.

    Vietnam requires arriving passengers to test Covid-19 negative and have certificates of vaccination or Covid-19 recovery. They will also need to isolate themselves at a location of their choice for three days after arrival.

    Those who are not fully vaccinated will need to guarantee that they will isolate themselves for at least seven days at home or a location approved by local authorities.

    The CAAV has approved the resumption of international flight routes to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Cambodia and the U.S, with each domestic airline allowed to operate four flights a week on each route.

    South Korea, China, Laos and Thailand have not finalized their responses to Vietnam’s request for flight resumption.

    Vietnam closed its borders and grounded international flights in March 2020, allowing in only citizens, foreign experts, investors, and highly-skilled workers coming in on special flights.

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  • Data leak: 1.9 mln Vietnam crypto app users at risk

    Data leak: 1.9 mln Vietnam crypto app users at risk

    Personal data of 1.92 million users of Vietnamese digital currency app Onus has been leaked due to a security breach.

    The Singapore-based company founded and managed by Vietnamese stated Monday its server had been attacked and personal data of a large number of users could have been leaked.

    It added user assets were not affected by the attack.

    Internet users on Dec. 25 found the data of Onus customers posted on a data trading website by an account named ‘vndcio.’

    The data includes real name, email address, phone number, username and Electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) info, which is the digital verification of an identity without the need for face-to-face interaction.

    Of all 1.92 million Onus users, around 90 percent are Vietnamese, the hacker said.

    ‘vndcio’ claimed to have accessed the server of Onus to get the data and delete the files on the server afterward.

    He or she also uploaded screenshots of the data, including passport and ID card info of users along with videos of 10 users’ faces, which is how Onus identify its customers.

    The hacker did not reveal how much he or she charges for the data but provided an email address for contact.

    On Dec. 26, another account, ‘blackblock1234,’ uploaded the same data with a total volume of nine terabytes.

    The leaked data is enough for hackers to fake user identification or send them unwanted advertisements.

    Onus, formally VNDC, launched its app in March last year and claimed to have 1.8 million users in over 20 economies, with over 600,000 of them having identified themselves electronically.

    It allows users to trade cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and manage their investments.

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  • China’s telecom sector grows 8.1%

    China’s telecom sector grows 8.1%

    China’s telecom sector recorded a strong 8.1% year-on-year growth in the first 11 months of this year.

    According to official figures released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the combined industrial revenue grew by over RMB 1.35 trillion. This represents a decline of 0.1 percentage points for the period from January to October.

    The number of 5G mobile subscribers has reached 497 million by the end of November, representing an increment of 298 million from the end of last year. Of which, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom added over 35 million 5G mobile subscribers in November alone.

    The world’s largest operator in term of subscribers, China Mobile has added a total of 209.38 million 5G subscribers since the start of 2021.

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  • Babeeni’s hand-smocked clothing for children meets diverse tastes

    Babeeni’s hand-smocked clothing for children meets diverse tastes

    Babeeni Co., Ltd satisfies customers from different markets with its designs for dresses, swimwear for children, women and families.

    Established in 2007, Babeeni has been a reputable manufacturer and exporter of children’s clothing in Vietnam. It has a head office at 66 Viet Hung Street, Long Bien District, Hanoi and five factories totaling 150,000 square meters in Hai Duong and Lao Cai provinces.

    With 2,120 employees in hand-embroidery and sewing techniques, as well as advanced machines and production lines, Babeeni meets an annual capacity of around 3 million pieces of all types of clothing for children, women, men and families.

    Target markets mainly include the United States and Europe, along with the Middle East and Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.

    Babeeni‘s clothing products feature an exquisite style with traditional hand-embroidery, hand-smocked patterns and appliqued motifs to meet customer needs. The garments are made of new and high-quality fabric guaranteed to be safe, with cotton certificated from an American origin.

    Besides, Babeeni is capable of meeting custom requests for different types of materials, designs or patterns.

    With the wish for long-term cooperation, Babeeni has product return policy that is ready to give feedback or solutions for merchandiser of the purchaser. Babeeni also provides 24/7 sales, design consulting and logistics services to serve orders with reasonable prices, satisfactory quality and on-time delivery.

    Until now, Babeeni has attracted thousands of customers, most of whom have cooperated with the manufacturer for many years. The company aims to expand into more international markets.

    Duong Thi Phuong Hien (Marry Le) – CEO and founder of Babeen, shared her business philosophy: “Business is not for profit but for promoting happiness and beauty. When you buy Babeeni’s products, you are getting the best from our heart and passion in fashion.”

    If you want to start up your own clothing boutique and have any idea on clothing designs, contact via phone +84-823 776 668 (Whatsapp).

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  • Singapore Toughens COVID Rules for Expats

    Singapore Toughens COVID Rules for Expats

    The city-state is cracking down on expats who refuse to vaccinate against the coronavirus.

    Singapore will require applicants for work passes, long-term passes, and permanent residence to be vaccinated, effective February 1, citing a government task force communication. This applies to those renewing their work passes as well.

    The measure represents a toughening of measures in Singapore, which has 1.1 million foreign workers according to recent government data. Many of them work in finance, where foreign banks have established sizeable hubs in Singapore as well as Hong Kong as a gateway to wider Asia.

    The pandemic has slowed the frequent flight traffic to Singapore, with executives like UBS boss Ralph Hamers not able to visit Asia until last month – more than one year into his tenure running the Swiss wealth management giant.

    The new Singaporean measures are being spurred by the rapid spread of Omicron, a variant of COVID-19 which the WHO pegged as concerning last month due to the ease with which it spreads as well as the severity of illness it can cause.

    The aim is to loop in employers, which will have to attest that their employees, as well as dependents, are up to date on their vaccinations when they arrive in Singapore. They do not apply to children under 12, nor those medically ineligible for the vaccine.

    These measures will help sustain our high vaccination rates and facilitate the safe reopening of our society and economy, the Singaporean task force said, according to the outlet.

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  • Ferrari Signs Deal With Tech Firm Velas To Create Digital Products For Fans

    Ferrari Signs Deal With Tech Firm Velas To Create Digital Products For Fans

    Ferrari has signed a multi-year accord with Swiss technology firm Velas Network to create digital content for its fans, the luxury sports car maker said on Monday.

    From next season, Velas, a provider of digital products and services, will become a partner of Ferrari’s Formula 1 racing team.

    “In addition, Velas will be Title Sponsor of the Ferrari Esports Series, the online mono-brand series of the Prancing Horse, and of the Esports team that will compete in the F1 Esports Series, the official digital championship competed in by all teams participating in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship,” Ferrari said in a statement.

    Velas is a leading provider of blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), cryptographic assets stored on a blockchain that have an identification code that makes them unique and has gained popularity as a way to sell digital art.

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  • EVRE Partners With Zyngo To Offer 5,000 EV Chargers

    EVRE Partners With Zyngo To Offer 5,000 EV Chargers

    EVRE, India’s leading EV charging infrastructure player, has announced a partnership with Zyngo, a last-mile delivery provider for parking and charging infrastructure solutions. Zyngo operates an existing 500+ strong fleet across 10 cities and is working towards achieving a 10,000-strong electric vehicle fleet by 2023. Under the partnership, EVRE will offer 5,000 EV charging stations across India within the next 24 months, which will be utilized by Zyngo and other EV fleet owners. Zyngo will use these chargers to extend its last-mile access and expand its reach, while EVRE will design, manufacture and execute the operation and maintenance of the EV charging infrastructure.

    During the first phase of the partnership, EVRE will support Zyngo with 500 charging stations for its fleet of 500 EVs. EVRE will lease the land, provide the parking and charging infrastructure operate and maintain, and take care of the insurance, safety and security of these hubs. According to a press statement, over the next few months, EVRE will provide the support to park and charge this dedicated EV fleet with its existing and upcoming infrastructure.

    Speaking on the partnership Prateek Rao, Founder & CEO, Zyngo said, “We are driving ahead the electrification of hyperlocal delivery services across E-commerce spectrum. This initiative requires such collaborations to enable the empanelment of EV ecosystem in the last mile delivery space. EVRE’s tech advanced charging infra combined with Zyngo’s fully competent and advanced Logistics tech platform and fleet management will strive the EV ecosystem and enable faster adoption.”

    Commenting on this partnership, Krishna K Jasti, Co-Founder and CEO of EVRE said, “We aim to increase new business value through co-creation with services and businesses, such as the advancement of computer vision technology. Through such partnerships, we are looking towards developing an integrated ecosystem for EV fleet owners as well as EV users across the country. Zyngo, with its unique proposition, is an apt partner as both the organizations will mutually benefit from the cross-utilization of resources in the EV ecosystem”.

    The 5,000 chargers will be integrated with the rest of the EV ecosystem across the country through the EVRE App. This will enable electric two-wheeler and three-wheeler Zyngo fleet operators with slow and fast unmanned smart chargers that are capable of metering, billing, and payment collection. EVRE is India’s leading integrated charging infrastructure company that follows EAAS (Energy-as-a-Service) model, offering public charging infrastructure in a pay-per-use model in nine cities across India. EVRE is focused on establishing and maintaining 50,000 EV charging stations by 2023.

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  • Low-cost café franchising booms despite Covid

    Low-cost café franchising booms despite Covid

    Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more low-price cafés are franchising and doing well. At 9.00 every day a Napoli café franchisee on Dong Nai Road, District 10, HCMC is crowded. Its owner, Hoang, says: “We directly serve hundreds of customers a day. The number of customers making orders via apps is double that.”

    A café franchised by Milano on Pham Van Chieu Road, Go Vap District, also gets hundreds of customers daily, one of its employees says.

    Many other similar outlets are also making good profits despite the pandemic, mainly selling through apps and e-commerce websites.

    Nguyen Duc Hung, the founder of Napoli Coffee, said that after starting in 2010 his company has so far franchised 3,000 outlets which fetch hundreds of billions of dong annually.

    “We franchise an average of two to three coffee shops a month. Some of our partners want to open more shops though they already own five”.

    Now there are thousands of Milano franchisees across the country. Trung Nguyen E-Coffee franchised coffee shops are present in 54 cities and provinces.

    The franchisors do not seek royalties for their trademarks or other such fees, and most of their profits come instead from the construction and decoration of coffee shops or sales of packaged coffee and beverages they produce

    Napoli offers three franchising packages costing VND70-350 million for cafes of 50-100 square meters in size. The packages include a five-year warranty, decoration, furniture, lighting, uniforms, and the coffee-making process, and exclude the costs of sanitary equipment and salaries.

    Trung Nguyen E-Coffee offers franchising packages worth VND65-175 million.

    Le Anh Tu, a lecturer at Van Lang University in HCMC, said the low-price café franchising model thrives despite Covid because franchisors support franchisees a lot, and products are sold at reasonable prices like VND12,000-30,000 for a cup of coffee.

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  • Apple’s AirTag gets a limited edition in Japan

    Apple’s AirTag gets a limited edition in Japan

    Designed to act as a key finder that helps people find lost objects, the AirTag is surely one of Apple’s most controversial products. Although the Cupertino-based company included various technologies on the AirTag to prevent unwanted tracking or stalking, it’s still very easy to bypass the device’s software.

    Frightening reports about people that have been tracked to their homes in order to have their cars stolen have been making headlines throughout the year. Not to mention that Android users aren’t even alerted by the built-in audible alarm that’s usually triggered by a smartphone when an AirTag is detected nearby.

    Tile-like item trackers have existed before and will continue to exist, but one manufactured by Apple was deemed to attract a lot of buzzes. Although the AirTag got a lot of negative publicity, there’s no reason not to buy one as long as Apple continues to sell the Tile-like item tracker.

    All the more so if you live in Japan where Apple has just launched a limited edition AirTag that celebrates the Japanese New Year. You can’t get this one from anywhere else in the world, and even if you live in Japan, just the first 20,000 customers who purchase an eligible iPhone will receive a limited edition AirTag.

    The tiger logo on the limited edition AirTag signifies the year of the Tiger in Japan, which will start on January 1, 2022. You’ll have to buy an iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, or iPhone SE on January 2 or January 3 to qualify for the limited edition AirTag.

    On top of that, customers buying various Apple products in the first few days of 2022 will receive

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  • Viettel to get new chairman

    Viettel to get new chairman

    Colonel Tao Duc Thang is set to take over as chairman and CEO of military-owned telecom giant Viettel from Le Dang Dung, who retires on December 31.

    Thang, 48, who has been the deputy CEO since 2015, has an M.A. in electronics and communications and worked for Hanoi Phone Company and Hanoi Post before joining Viettel in 2005.

    He has held several key positions since, including as CEO and chairman of Viettel Global, which manages the company’s overseas businesses.

    Viettel, the country’s largest telecom company with operations in nine countries in Southeast Asia and Africa, reported pre-tax profits of VND19.9 trillion ($867.2 million) for the first half of 2021, a year-on-year increase of 3.1 percent.

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  • Waze users say they are not always being alerted about speed traps

    Waze users say they are not always being alerted about speed traps

    Google Maps is the most popular mapping and navigation app in the U.S. Google also owns Waze which it purchased for a price believed to be in the $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion range. Like Maps, Waze is an app that delivers turn-by-turn directions to help users safely and quickly get from point “A” to point “B.” However, Waze uses information that is crowdsourced to help enhance the data that users receive.

    The information crowdsourced includes police presence, accidents, traffic jams, and more. While Google has taken some features from Waze and added them to Google Maps (such as showing the speed limit on the screen, and the ability to report accidents, and police presence), there are still some major differences between the two apps. Waze’s navigation is mostly suited for cars while Google Maps provides directions for those walking, driving, biking, or taking public transportation.

    In addition, the Waze UI is less detailed than Google Maps as it focuses on the driver experience instead of listing places to go, things to do, and hotels to stay at every destination (which you’ll find on Google Maps). Waze also requires an internet connection while Google Maps will work even if you’re offline. If you drive along rural roads in the U.S. and use Waze, you might want to have Google Maps installed just in case you find yourself in an area without an internet connection.

    Waze users have recently been experiencing inconsistency, especially when dealing with police reports and speed traps. These users say that they are no longer receiving a speed trap alert when they drive toward a location where one was previously reported. While the speed trap does appear on the display as you move closer to it, there is no alert which means that in order to know that a police trap is ahead, the driver has to take his eyes off of the road and put them on the display.The Waze help page includes a question from a Waze user which asks, “I have alerts and notifications selected but I no longer get notified (about police and speed traps) and .. wondering if Waze is no longer allowed to do this? Or is anyone else experiencing this?” A Googler  responded that “People should still be receiving these alerts, we’re not aware of any bugs surrounding this at the moment.”

    He goes on to say, “Do keep in mind that there is a bit of a delay (some minutes) for these to appear. Also, if several people downvote the report when they get it, it becomes more likely that the report will disappear quite quickly. There is also a system that determines how trustworthy reports are from each user. While not too likely, it could always be that someone’s reports don’t actually get shown to other users based on their history.”

    Another thing to consider is that these alerts are directional. A notification alert about a temporary speed trap that you report will most likely not result in a notification for Waze drivers motoring in the opposite direction from you, even though it will be viewable on the app.

    The big issue here is the inconsistency of the feature. One Waze user pointed out that she is hearing the app alert her by saying “police ahead, but only “50% of the time.” Hearing that the odds of receiving an alert about a speed trap before driving into that trap is the same as picking heads or tails is not going to placate Waze users who depend on the app for that early warning so that they can slow down in time and avoid receiving a ticket from their friendly neighborhood police officer.

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  • AirAsia India, SpiceJet make discount offers to spur ticket bookings

    AirAsia India, SpiceJet make discount offers to spur ticket bookings

    Domestic airlines AirAsia India and SpiceJet launched disco­unt schemes on Monday, offering tickets upwards of Rs 1,122. Bookings can be made between De­c­ember 27 and 31 and the discount is for tickets between Jan­uary 15 and April 15.

    The move is ex­pe­cted to stimulate forward bookings amid the Omicron scare that has led to increased curbs across states. While travel dem­and in Dec­ember remains str­ong and airlines continue to see around 380,000 daily passeng­ers, forward bookings are looking weak. Additionally, airlines are offering waivers in date change and rescheduling fees to provide better travel flexibility to customers.

    “We have not seen an impact in December but clearly Omicron is a dampener. With rising cases, people are in a wait-and-watch mode,” said a travel industry executive. Generally, airlines launch such offers for travel beginning February or March when demand gets weak, but this time around forwarding bookings are slow given Covid-19 uncertainties, he added.