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Tag: asia

  • EU may force Apple to allow app side-loading

    EU may force Apple to allow app side-loading

    Apple has been in some hot water around the world for a while now, regarding its monopolistic practices in the App Store (not to even mention the whole right-to-repair movement).

    The inability for mobile developers to offer iOS apps anywhere outside the official App Store has been a long-standing issue and the cause for many a lawsuit so far. Now, Reuters reports Apple has received a special warning by Margrethe Vestager, who is both Tech Chief and Executive Vice President of the European Commission.

    Vestager has accused Apple of “using privacy and security concerns to fend off the competition on its App Store,” which is the driving reason the company cites for forcing all developers to publish through the App Store, where Apple can approve or reject them, and levy the 30% commission fee from one and all (Apple has since loosened up a bit in that regard, to its credit).

    Apart from the official warning to Apple last Friday, since 2020, Vestager has also been working on implementing a new Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is a set of rules meant to force Apple into allowing the side-loading of apps from outside Apple’s native App Store onto iOS devices, be that from external app stores or downloaded straight from the web.

    While Tim Cook rejected the idea at a public speech in June, saying that this would destroy the privacy and security of the iPhone ecosystem, Vestager agreed about the importance of security but claimed that the argument is not necessarily always relevant.

    The important thing here is, of course, that it’s not a shield against competition because I think customers will give up neither security nor privacy if they use another app store or if they sideload… I think privacy and security is of paramount importance to everyone.

    Vestager’s proposal is open to change, and would have to go through multiple EU countries and lawmakers in order to be finalized and leave Apple legally bound to allow apps outside the App Store within countries in the European Union.

  • TikTok is testing a custom paid video format called Shoutouts

    TikTok is testing a custom paid video format called Shoutouts

    TikTok creators are about to get another tool to help them make money. The top-grossing app in H1 2021 is apparently testing a Cameo-like feature called Shoutouts.

    The new format will allow TikTok users to request custom videos from their favorite creators and pay for them with in-app currency.

    The new feature is available for some creators in Turkey and Dubai but there’s no information on when Shoutouts will arrive in other countries.

    You pay upfront when you submit a request and then wait for up to three days for your creator to accept. Then, in a week or so, you should receive your custom video in your direct messages (after it’s been reviewed and approved by TikTok – this isn’t OnlyFans, guys).

    Earlier this month, TikTok announced that it will be introducing longer videos (already rolling out), allowing users to upload up to three minutes’ worth of content.

    Shoutouts is the last addition to a slew of new TikTok features, including the recently introduced TikTok Jump – mini-widgets that creators can link to within their videos.

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  • Malaysia’s AirAsia to buy Gojek’s Thai business for $50 million in shares

    Malaysia’s AirAsia to buy Gojek’s Thai business for $50 million in shares

    Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia Group will buy Indonesian ride-hailing and payments firm Gojek’s business in Thailand in return for $50 million of shares in part of the airline’s digital business, the companies said on Wednesday.

    The deal will give Gojek a 4.76% stake in AirAsia SuperApp, valuing the division at around $1 billion, more than the pandemic-hit airline’s current market value of $868 million at a time when it has been looking to raise more capital.

    The agreement with the Indonesian startup unicorn comes just a week after AirAsia applied for a digital banking licence in Malaysia, signaling a shift in focus towards digital business as most of its fleet remains grounded amid coronavirus restrictions.

    “By taking on Gojek’s well-established Thai business, we’ll be able to turbocharge our ambitions in this space to become a leading Asean challenger super app,” AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandes said in a statement.

    AirAsia SuperApp, a lifestyle platform for travel, e-commerce and financial services, is one of three companies under the AirAsia Digital group. The others are logistics venture Teleport and the BigPay fintech business.

    Gojek’s Thai business, which includes ride-hailing, food delivery and payments, is its smallest overseas operation and has a far smaller share of that market than food delivery market leader Grab.

    Gojek will focus on increasing investment in Vietnam and Singapore after the deal is completed, the statement said.

    Gojek’s Thai business was loss-making in 2019 and 2020, according to accounts provided with the deal announcement.

    Nikkei Asia earlier reported that AirAsia was in talks with Gojek to acquire its Thai business.

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  • Samsung expects 53% increased profits amid the global chip shortage

    Samsung expects 53% increased profits amid the global chip shortage

    Samsung is reportedly expecting a notable 53% increase in its quarterly profit following a very healthy demand for memory chips during the global semiconductor shortage. One of the largest electronics manufacturers in the world forecasts a profit of nearly $11 billion for the quarter that ended with June.

    This uptrend can be attributed to strong sales of memory chips, which is offsetting the weakened sales of TVs, phones, and other electronics in the first couple of months into the coronavirus pandemic and is shaping up to be Samsung’s biggest quarter since 2018. As more and more people stayed and worked from home, the demand for electronics has surged, and Samsung is finally bringing home the bacon thanks to this. This is all despite the chip shortage that’s plaguing not only the smartphone but many other industries and businesses as well.

    Of course, the exact figures remain to be confirmed in the financial report released later this month, but Samsung will easily beat analysts’ expectations by a lot.

    Samsung is one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers globally, a leading contractor that produces chips for Apple, Qualcomm, and others. Samsung is reportedly working closely with its overseas partners to mitigate any supply disruptions that may arise as a result of the disruption.

    Recently, we’ve heard rumors that Samsung might have been forced to postpone the release of its anticipated Galaxy S21 FE to Q4 2021 due to the chip shortage. Another concession is reportedly resorting to using Exynos chips alongside Qualcomm’s Snapdragon solution. There are even rumors that the phone could skip some markets due to the same reasons.<

  • Xiaomi patents an all edge curved screen phone

    Xiaomi patents an all edge curved screen phone

    Some trends in the tech world just don’t want to fade away, and one of those is the endless desire to curve screen edges. It all started with the Galaxy Note Edge in 2014, but it wasn’t until the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge that the trend gained popularity.

    With time, however, curved displays started feeling more like a cumbersome gimmick than the beautiful innovation it was meant to be and its flame dwindled in the wind of progress. In recent years, the feature has boiled down to just a slight curve in flagship devices.

    Having said that, it would seem some mobile phone manufacturers out there are trying to light the fire once again. In February this year, Xiaomi patented a design with an 88˚ curved screen, covering almost everything besides the edges and the back. Now the company pushes the idea of the curved display even further to the extreme.

    The new patent envisions a waterfall display that envelops all four sides including the edges, which is much more difficult to achieve. The additional screen real estate could probably be used for displaying notifications, battery status, or other general information. There is also a possibility that pressure sensitivity could be added for additional functionality thanks to the whole lack of buttons thing.

    As the patent shows, Xiaomi has not only stretched the screen to hug all of the device’s front but has also removed all ports and buttons on the sides. What’s more, you won’t find any camera cutouts or notches to disrupt the beautiful flawlessness of the panel.

    How will you take selfies, you ask? Well, Xiaomi is one of the first to start experimenting with under-display cameras and has reached its third variation of that technology. The company is expected to release the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 this year, which is rumored to have one.

    The back of the patеnted phone also features a peculiar design. We can see the large cutout for the camera, but there is also one right below it that doesn’t portray any clear purpose.

    Nevertheless, it is doubtful that such extreme designs will come back in fashion. They are not practical in more ways than one, and users seem to have lost interest in them. On the other hand, the idea of port- and buttonless mobile devices is starting to creep up, and it might not be too long until it becomes the new mainstream approach.

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  • Bentley To Launch Electric Car By 2025

    Bentley To Launch Electric Car By 2025

    It was in 2020 that Bentley’s ‘Beyond100’ strategy was announced. It was a roadmap the company’s transformation into the world’s leading sustainable luxury mobility brand and of course, its commitment to an electric future. As a first step towards that, all three Bentley models will be available as luxury hybrid cars by 2023. Two of them – the Flying Spur and Bentayga – already are available in the hybrid avatar.

    However, when it comes to an all-electric model, Bentley will launch one only in 2025. The company also promises that it will also be the first luxury car in the world to be carbon neutral over its entire life. By 2026, the company’s entire range will be made up of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

    As a result of these commitments, the company will evolve from the world’s largest producer of 12-cylinder internal combustion engines, into a purely electric vehicle manufacturer – and all in just ten years. With the goal of a fully electric Bentley line-up by 2030, there remains some way to go, but we can’t wait to see the cars pouring out.

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  • US states allege Google ‘unlawfully’ preserves Play Store monopoly

    US states allege Google ‘unlawfully’ preserves Play Store monopoly

    Thirty-seven U.S. state and district attorneys general sued Alphabet. Google on Wednesday, alleging that it bought off competitors and used restrictive contracts to unlawfully maintain a monopoly for its app store on Android phones.

    The allegations about Google’s Play Store stem from an investigation involving nearly every U.S. state that began in September 2019 and have already resulted in three other lawsuits against the company. The cases threaten to force major changes to how it generates billions of dollars in revenue across its businesses, including advertising, in-app purchases and smart home gadgets.

    Google said on Wednesday the litigation was about boosting a handful of major app developers that want preferential treatment rather than about helping small businesses or consumers. It maintains that unlike Apple with its App Store on iPhones, Android supports competitors to the Play Store.

    “Android and Google Play provide openness and choice that other platforms simply don’t,” the company said in a blog post.

    The states, led by Utah, New York, North Carolina and Tennessee, argue that Google has generated “enormous profit margins” from the Play Store by engaging in illegal tactics to preserve monopolies in selling Android apps and in-app goods.

    In the United States, Google Play accounts for 90% of Android apps downloaded, according to the lawsuit.

    “Google leverages its monopoly power with Android to unlawfully maintain its monopoly in the Android app distribution market,” the lawsuit stated.

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  • Pokemon GO still going strong, scores $5 billion in lifetime revenue

    Pokemon GO still going strong, scores $5 billion in lifetime revenue

    Well, what do you know? Even though we spent the past two years mostly locked up and homebound (pandemic and stuff), the AR game sensation Pokemon GO not only survived but managed to cross the $5 billion mark in lifetime revenue.

    According to a recent report by SensorTower, the AR title from Niantic has surpassed $5 billion from player spending since its launch back in 2016. The game remains vastly popular in the US, catching $1.9 billion, or 36.6 percent of its lifetime revenue in the country.

    People spending money on Pokemon GO seem to be almost equally distributed between Android and iOS, 52.8% and 47.2% respectively. The report also shows that the game generated $642 million in the first half of 2021, a 34% increase from the same period last year.

    Pokemon GO has been downloaded 632 million times to date, and there are no signs that the Pokemon craze will subside anytime soon.

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  • Government to keep 65 pct stake in banks, airport operators

    Government to keep 65 pct stake in banks, airport operators

    The government will retain minimum ownership of 65 percent in state-owned banks and airport operators that privatize from now through 2025.

    It will keep a similar rate in large mining companies.

    The rates will be 50-65 percent in airlines and water utilities, basic chemical production and fuel importing companies.

    But companies that have a bearing on national security, such as landmine producers and map makers, will not be privatized.

    Others, where it will continue to own 100 percent, are power transmission and national grid management, currency printing and gold bullion production.

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  • Apple blocks TikTok’s attempt to track iPhone users

    Apple blocks TikTok’s attempt to track iPhone users

    Ever wonder how you could look up a product online and all of a suddenly targeted ads for that product pop up on your phone and other connected devices? This, not witchcraft, readers. Third-party apps and websites track your travels across the internet and also know which apps you’ve been viewing. When Apple released iOS 14.5 in May, it gave iOS users the opportunity to opt-out of getting tracked with the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature.
    This feature gives iPhone users the ability to decide for themselves whether they want to be tracked by third-party apps and websites for the purpose of receiving online ads. More importantly, the ATT feature allows users to opt-out of being tracked which is the option that the vast majority of iOS users have selected. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was not pleased that Apple was giving users a way out of being tracked, but that isn’t surprising since the social media giant took in over $84 billion in ad revenue last year and 96% of iOS users had decided to opt-out of tracking in the early going.
    Another company decimated by ATT is TikTok and the popular short-form video app attempted a workaround to get around App Tracking Transparency called device fingerprinting. The latter can collect user data through the use of an algorithm and the entire workaround is called CAID for short.
    The Financial Times said that Apple was left with certain options: it could decide to look the other way and allow CAID to be used by app developers to obtain personal data, or it could block apps like TikTok from the App Store as long as the workaround continued to be employed. The latter is what Apple decided to do as it rejected TikTok updates that contained the CAID build.
    Alex Bauer, head of product marketing at adtech group Branch, told the Times that “The Chinese app ecosystem was collectively baiting the bull with CAID, under the theory that Apple couldn’t afford to ban every major app in the market. Apple called their bluff, and seems to have reasserted control over the situation by aggressively rapping knuckles on early adopters before the consortium gained any real momentum.”
    While TikTok tried to use a back door to get past Apple’s ATT, the tech giant was able to slam that door shut. The company remains serious about promoting privacy on the iPhone and its other devices.
  • Apple Watch heart rate monitor saves woman from blockage that had 88% chance of killing her

    Apple Watch heart rate monitor saves woman from blockage that had 88% chance of killing her

    Of all the life-saving features on the Apple Watch, perhaps the most employed one is the heart rate monitor because it is the easiest to use and understand. When your heart rate rises above a certain level or falls below a certain level, it means that you need to visit the ER immediately. ABC13 in Michigan reported the story of Diane Feenstra, a woman from Norton Shores Michigan whose Apple Watch allowed her to survive the kind of massive heart attack that only 12% survive according to the AHA.

    This type of heart attack, which affects what is known as the widow-maker artery, is fatal 88% of the time when it happens outside of the hospital. Diane explains what happened on April 22nd, the day that she nearly died. ” The day in question, April 22, I had 169 beats per minute heart rate even though the most vigorous exercise I had done was to walk up 12 steps. So I called my husband at work and said do you think this is concerning? And he said call your doctor.

    At the hospital, an EKG revealed that she had recently had a heart attack, but didn’t know it. “Unlike men who feel an elephant on their chest many times, a woman’s symptoms are very different. I had pain going down my left hand, I had a little swelling in my left foot, I had indigestion that I just explained away as acid reflux that I was experiencing as I got older.”

    Pain in her shoulder she explained away as coming from a recent bit of vacuuming that threw her muscles out of whack. But the truth was that she was experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency. “I think God used that watch to alert me to the fact that my heart wasn’t functioning properly,” she said.

    It turned out that Diane suffered a full blockage in the widow-maker artery. A stent procedure was done and today she is alive and well. Now she and her husband will be able to celebrate their 48th wedding anniversary this coming August.

    Diane had purchased an Apple Watch for her husband Gary and even though she didn’t want one, he bought it for her anyway and all the gesture did was save her life. Feenstra said, “It’s such an easy thing to see what your heart rate is, had I not done that that morning who knows but I may have had another heart attack that would have been fatal.”

    Just the other day, we told you how the timepiece’s fall detection feature helped save a 78-year old man who had fallen, breaking his nose and becoming unconscious. Thanks to the fall detection feature, he was able to receive medical assistance and credited the watch with saving his life.

  • Infinet Wireless seals new distribution partnership with Terra Matrix in Malaysia

    Infinet Wireless seals new distribution partnership with Terra Matrix in Malaysia

    Infinet Wireless, the global leader in fixed wireless broadband connectivity, announces a new distribution partnership with Terra Matrix, the major player in the Malaysian telecoms space. Terra Matrix Sdn. Bhd. Specializes in the wholesale distribution of wireless communications and CCTV solutions, leading from the front with strategic projects across the country. It has a highly qualified and internationally certified team of engineers and specialists with a reputation for reliability and best-in-class business efficiency gained over the past decade. From engineering to design and implementation, its highly experienced team has delivered cutting-edge technological solutions to many projects all over Malaysia.

    Terra Matrix chose Infinet Wireless as its preferred wireless business partner to help accelerate its efforts in the networking arena, where it delivers turnkey solutions from the engineering stage, through to design and supply, field implementation and ongoing maintenance services. This partnership will make it possible for Terra Matrix to offer its customers the best broadband wireless technology available in today’s marketplace and boost its growth objectives across a range of verticals markets.

    “We are very pleased to partner with Infinet Wireless”, Mohd Daniel Kooy Bin Abdullah, CEO at Terra Matrix, commented on the new collaboration. “We use Infinet Wireless’ technology to provide voice, Internet and video surveillance services for small and large companies across a number of different industries, including the energy sector, telecommunications, homeland security and health sector.”

    Founded in 2010 and based in Penang, Terra Matrix has been at the forefront of the system integration industry in Malaysia. Its core competencies are in system integration and complete network delivery, from the design, supply, installation to maintenance of private networks of all sizes. Terra Matrix focuses on gaining an in-depth understanding of the latest available technologies to guarantee that it can meet and exceed the specific requirements of its customers.

    Terra Matrix has been using Infinet Wireless technology since 2013, implementing it in the scope of the successful safe city project of Pulau Pinang City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP). Over a period of 8 years, 6 phases of the MBPP project and 2 phases of the MBSP projects, consisting of more than 300 sites, have been implemented state-wide in Penang, significantly improving safety in the communities.

    Terra Matrix has successfully integrated all the legacy CCTV systems as well as new ones into one single integrated and reliable platform, able to stream high-definition video streams coupled with an public announcement system to 9 control centers in Penang. This video-surveillance infrastructure had enabled the local authorities and law enforcement agencies to monitor hotspot areas for criminal prevention, flood areas, traffic violations, etc. This same platform is currently being extended to provide monitoring and compliance of all government restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Terra Matrix will distribute Infinet Wireless’ entire range of products and offer its customers unparalleled quality of service thanks to innovative, reliable, easy-to-integrate and high-performance technology.

    Infinet Wireless’s deep experience of radio frequency innovation – and translating that into the real world needs of customers – ensures that its products combine unsurpassed reliability and technical functionality, enabling the delivery of truly flexible wireless networks with unparalleled quality of service.

  • MadFish Wines marks 30 years with label revamp

    MadFish Wines marks 30 years with label revamp

    MadFish Wines has unveiled a bold and colorful new label to celebrate the brand’s 30th anniversary.

    Designed by South West multi-disciplinary visual artist Kyle Hughes-Odgers, known for using bright colors and bold shapes inspired by nature, the new label features an abstract interpretation of the region’s coastline with a color palette that combines both land and sea.

    Launched in 1992, the brand’s quirky name was inspired by winemaker Jeff Burch’s love of the South West coastline, where two opposing tides collide, causing schools of fish to jump like “mad”. According to the company, the coastal location of MadFish also adds a fresh, crisp flavor to the wines.

    “Being so close to the South West coastline provides us with ideal conditions to both grow grapes and enjoy the surf,” Burch said.

    “Although the landscape here is rough and rather dramatic, the wines that are born from it are surprisingly smooth and refined, yet still possess the beautiful liveliness of the region. It is exciting to see how Kyle has captured this unique feel through his designs.”

    The brand’s range features a collection of wine varieties, including bright and refreshing Prosecco; approachable whites like the Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc Semillon; food-partner Rose; and rich, juicy reds like Pinot Noir, Grenache, Shiraz, and Cabernet Melot.

    In line with the label revamp, the brand has also redesigned its website with the same aesthetics. In addition, the wines, under new winemaker Nic Bowen, will be made vegan from 2021 and beyond.

    MadFish Wines is available for RRP $18 available online and in liquor stores nationwide.

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  • SunRice’s $4.5 million factory upgrade boosts rice quality

    SunRice’s $4.5 million factory upgrade boosts rice quality

    SunRice has upgraded its classic microwave pouch range, seeking to offer consumers more “fluffier, softer, and tastier” rice than before.

    The improved product is the result of a $4.5 million investment to improve its factory in Leeton to enhance product quality and reduce energy and water consumption.

    According to the company, the upgrade is part of a broader commitment to continuous improvement and offering consumers the highest quality rice possible, especially during the cooler months where rice becomes a staple in Australian households.

    “SunRice continuously reviews opportunities to improve our much-loved products, and the new production technique for our microwave pouches will impart a finer eating experience of softer, fluffier, and tastier rice for all rice lovers than we have ever provided – endorsed through consumer testing and research,” said Andrew Jeffrey, head of marketing, SunRice.

    New packaging designs have been unveiled to reflect the innovation. The brand’s standard microwave cups and SuperGrains microwave cups have been upgraded so that customers can easily identify the variants across the range.

    SunRice’s classic microwave pouch range is available in Brown Rice, Brown & Quinoa, Basmati, Long Grain, and Jasmine at Coles, Woolworths, and independent supermarkets nationwide.

  • Li & Fung reveals first private-label brands created for JD

    Li & Fung reveals first private-label brands created for JD

    Li & Fung Limited, the world’s leading supply chain solutions partner for consumer brands and retailers, today announced that as part of a strategic investment made by JD.com in 2020, it is partnering with JD.com to provide end-to-end digital supply chain management services for JD.com’s private brand initiatives.

    Together, they are creating a multi-category collection that includes homeware under the brands “Made by JD” and “Best Home”, and developing a pet product brand called “Jingmeng” (“Cute Pet”) to capture China’s burgeoning pet care market.

    Building on JD.com’s investment and strategic digital supply chain partnership with Li & Fung, focusing on private brands, the joint venture’s newest initiative will leverage the emerging C2M (consumer-to-manufacturer) business model that is rapidly gaining momentum in Mainland China.

    C2M enables manufacturers to dramatically shorten the time from design to consumer from the industry average of 40 weeks to as little as two weeks, delivering high-quality, trend-responsive, products to the consumer. Products are tested in multiple SKUs of small quantities through e-commerce channels, providing more accurate data analysis of end-consumer preferences so that iterations can be made quickly and inventory can be adjusted in real-time.

    “JD.com can leverage Li & Fung’s 3D product design expertise and supply chain know-how to create and produce these new private label brands,” said Mr Wilson Zhu, newly-appointed head of C2M initiatives at Li & Fung.

    “By continuing to leverage the respective strengths of both companies we will deliver precisely what consumers are looking for – within their budget and at a much faster speed – through better forecasting, smarter production and maximum supply chain efficiency.”

    Mr Wang Xiaosong, Senior Vice President of JD.com and Head of JD.com’s private brands division said, “Li & Fung’s industry-leading 3D product design capabilities and wide-ranging product category expertise will greatly enhance our ability to create private-label brands that online consumers welcome and trust. The brand development process will also be informed by insights from our big data analysis”.