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Tag: asia

  • Qatar Airways passengers endure 3-hour delay without air conditioning

    Qatar Airways passengers endure 3-hour delay without air conditioning

    During a Qatar Airways flight from Athens to Bangkok via Doha, passengers suffered extreme discomfort when they were confined for more than three hours in oppressive heat due to a malfunctioning air conditioning system.

    The incident, which occurred on Monday while the plane was on the Athens International Airport’s tarmac, caused temperatures inside the cabin to soar to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius).

    Referencing a Matichon reporter on board, stated that despite the malfunction, the captain decided against allowing passengers to disembark, leading to the distressing situation.

    South African sports therapist Garth Collins, a passenger on the flight, shared his experience, stating: “Passengers were literally dehydrating and passing out on the plane.”

    “They were left stranded on the plane for 3.5 hours with doors closed and no air conditioning.”

    As seen in videos circulating online, a passenger had to resort to stripping off their clothes while others fanned themselves with safety instruction cards during the delay.

    Garth noted that after enduring the heat, passengers were finally permitted to leave the aircraft and return to the cooler confines of Athens International Airport. However, the relief was fleeting as they encountered extensive delays without communication from the airline. He emphasized that many missed their connecting flights in Doha due to the incident.

    Criticizing the airline’s response, Garth remarked that the assistance provided, which included only a cup of water and a small soft drink, was “completely insufficient to rehydrate an individual after the enforced sauna on the plane.”

    The flight was carrying 49 members of the Thai boxing team and accompanying reporters returning from the IFMA Senior World Championships in Patras, Greece. Among them, footage highlighted Muay Thai fighter Damian Collins visibly overwhelmed by the heat.

    “Damian is a fit, conditioned athlete, imagine the stress and danger for any normal individual,” commented Garth.

    Thai boxer Thannachai Sidsongpeenong also expressed his astonishment at the conditions and reflected on his relief at surviving the ordeal: “Now I feel that I was lucky to get through that situation.”

    The flight ultimately arrived in Doha at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, significantly delayed from its expected arrival time of 6:20 p.m. the previous day.

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  • Factories in southern Vietnam struggle to hire workers

    Factories in southern Vietnam struggle to hire workers

    Many factories in southern Vietnam are having trouble hiring workers since prospective candidates prefer jobs that require low commitment and offer flexibility.

    Vietnam Samho, a footwear supplier to Nike, has needed 1,500 workers in the last two months for its plant in HCMC’s outlying Cu Chi District but has been able to recruit only 300.

    “It is stressful to be a human resources employee these days as hiring is increasingly difficult”, Nguyen Thanh An, chairman of the company’s labor union, said.

    An and his team have been traveling around southern Vietnam to hire people at a salary of VND7-8 millio (US$275-314) a month. The company is also willing to pay for their transportation to HCMC.

    But they have still struggled to complete the hire even as the company’s orders are increasing.

    The HCMC Center For Employment Services said last month 49,000 jobs were available but only 8,500 people applied. Almost 60,000 signed up for unemployment benefits, its data shows.

    “There is increasing demand for workers at factories but it is a challenge to find people willing to work,” Nguyen Van Hanh Thuc, director of the center, said.

    Some companies need thousands of workers and have increased their maximum recruitment age to 40 or 45, but still only a small number of candidates are applying, she added.

    HCMC’s neighboring industrial localities such as Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces are also facing similar struggles to recruit workers, especially their garment, footwear and wood products sectors.

    Binh Duong data shows that over 3,200 companies sought 41,000 workers in the first five months.

    Dong Nai factories last month needed 10,700 workers but there were not enough candidates. Thuc said young people nowadays prefer jobs with high flexibility such as ride-hailing and delivering.

    The increasing number of factories in provinces also dissuade people from moving to big cities where living expenses are higher, she added.

    An said there is a perception that rural areas are “safer” after many workers were stuck in cities during the Covid-19 pandemic, and so many choose to live in their hometown.

    Nguyen Duc Loc, head of the Institute of Social Life Research, said the changing economy is creating new kinds of jobs which make people feel there is no point in making a long-term commitment to a factory which could lay them off any time.

    Many therefore prefer short-term jobs, he said.

    “Workers are more selective in choosing a factory now.”

    Businesses that laid off people quickly in the past would now struggle to hire workers, he added.

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  • Vietcombank enables online registration for gold purchases

    State-owned Vietcombank has introduced an online registration system for gold bar purchases starting Wednesday.

    Customers can register to buy gold from 9 a.m. daily and collect their orders in the afternoon.

    Vietcombank said that it promises to keep all customer information confidential and only use it for gold bar transactions.

    Vietcombank assures that all customer information will remain confidential and will only be used for gold bar transactions. This initiative makes Vietcombank the first of the four state-owned banks to offer online registration for gold purchases.

    At other state-owned banks, such as Agribank, BIDV, and VietinBank, customers still need to queue for tokens in the morning and return in the afternoon to collect their gold.

    Since earlier this month, long queues have been seen at these banks as the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) began distributing gold bars through them. Some customers have been lining up as early as 4 a.m. to secure tokens, with each branch serving only 20-40 customers per day.

    The SBV recently confirmed that there is sufficient gold to meet retail demand. However, the bank noted that some individuals have been hiring others to queue in order to hoard gold and drive up prices. Consequently, the SBV has requested government officials to investigate signs of speculation.

    The price of Saigon Jewelry Company gold bars has remained steady at nearly VND77 million ($3,026.37) over the past four days, approximately 8.5% higher than the global rate.

  • Domestic motorcycle market remains challenging in 2024

    Domestic motorcycle market remains challenging in 2024

    Motorbike sales volumes in the first quarter of 2024 reached 603,745 units, down 4.88% from the previous quarter and 11.5% lower year-on-year.

    This sales level is equivalent to around 15 years ago, indicating a prolonged gloomy period for the industry.

    Vietnam remains the world’s leading motorbike market, with over two-thirds of adults owning two-wheeled vehicles.

    However, motorbike sales have been declining and manufacturers need to be nimble in order to respond to new demands, according to industry insiders.

    The Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM), which includes major brands like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Piaggio and SYM, dominates the market.

    Motorcycle sales in Vietnam peaked at 3.25 million vehicles in 2019, but declined to 2.71 million in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Last year, the decline in VAMM’s motorbike sales had slowed, but only reached 2.51 million vehicles, about 16% lower than the previous year. All major segments, including scooters and manual motorcycles, saw significant declines, with the under 50cc category decreasing by 28.4%.

  • Singapore Airlines offers up to $25K compensation to passengers injured in turbulent flight

    Singapore Airlines offers up to $25K compensation to passengers injured in turbulent flight

    Singapore Airlines has offered compensation ranging from US$10,000 to $25,000 to passengers who were injured during the turbulent SQ321 flight.

    On Tuesday, the airline annnounced on its Facebook that who suffered “minor injuries” from the incident were offered $10,000, while passengers “having sustained serious injuries, requiring long-term medical care” were offered $25,000 in advance payment.

    The payment will cater to their immediate needs and constitute a portion of their final compensation.

    “For those who sustained more serious injuries from the incident, we have invited them to discuss a compensation offer to meet each of their specific circumstances,” it added.

    All passengers on board the turbulent flight, regardless of injury status, will also receive a full airfare refund, along with delay compensation in accordance with the relevant European Union or U.K. regulations.

    Additionally, Singapore Airlines has given all passengers S$1,000 (US$740) each for their immediate expenses upon departure from Bangkok, Thailand, where flight SQ321 made an emergency landing.

    It has also been covering injured passengers’ medical expenses and arranged for their family members and loved ones to travel to Bangkok if requested.

    211 passengers and 18 crew members were on board flight SQ321 from London to Singapore on May 21, when the plane dropped 54 metres in altitude in less than five seconds while flying over Myanmar.

    A 73-year-old British tourist, Geoffrey Kitchen, died of a suspected heart attack during the incident while several dozens of other passengers on the flight were later treated for paralysis, spinal and spinal cord injuries, as well as skull and brain trauma.

  • iPhone sales on TikTok quadruples to $3.3M

    iPhone sales on TikTok quadruples to $3.3M

    iPhone sales on TikTok Shop in Vietnam quadrupled between April and May to VND84.8 billion (US$3.33 million) before Apple shut down the distribution channel without explanation.

    According to YouNet ECI, a Ho Chi Minh City-based e-commerce data provider, FPT Shop had led in sales on TikTok until the shutdown, followed by Viettel Store and Di Dong Viet.

    The three accounted for nearly 87% of all iPhone sales on the platform. FPT, Viettel and Di Dong Viet sold 1,922, 576 and 453.

    YouNet ECI head of market research analysis Nguyen Phuong Lam said many iPhones were sold through livestreaming, which has proven to be an effective sales method on TikTok.

    According to data provider Metric, revenues from Apple products on TikTok Shop reached VND203 billion in the first five months, up 955% year over year.

    But on May 31 many authorized Apple retailers in Vietnam removed their products from it.

    A Di Dong Viet spokesperson told VnExpress that Apple requested the retailers to go off TikTok without any explanation.

    Lam conjectured that Apple was concerned that sales on TikTok Shop could cause conflict with offline distribution channels.

    Metric analysts said the fact that iPhone was sold together with many other products and used to attract buyers has caused severe damage to the brand.

    On many livestream sessions iPhones were sold along with clothes, diapers and other products, many of unknown origin.

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  • Australia Post Metro next day delivery service launches in Adelaide

    Australia Post Metro next day delivery service launches in Adelaide

    Australia Post has just expanded its next-day delivery service, Australia Post Metro, to Adelaide. This delivery service provides eligible retailers and their customers with speed and more certainty when they shop online.

    The launch of the new service is a direct response to the Adelaide community continuing to embrace the online shopping trend with consistent year-on-year eCommerce growth with online purchases 15.2% higher than in 2019 and nearly 500,000 households shopping online in the past year.

    Recent data found that 68% of online shoppers are likely to abandon their shopping cart if they feel the delivery method is too slow.

    Australia Post Metro addresses these changing consumer needs and helps retailers entice customers to finalise their online purchase.

    Gary Starr, Australia Post Executive General Manager Parcel, Post and eCommerce Services said the flexibility and reliability that next-day delivery provides customers was becoming increasingly important, as the desire for fast fulfilment continues to be a key factor in online sales.

    “We’ve been listening to our customers, and know they expect more certainty, simplicity and speed when ordering online. The Australia Post Metro service raises the bar for customers – prioritising next day delivery in metropolitan areas enabling us to respond to that demand and deliver parcels to customers’ doors sooner.

    “We already have some of the country’s largest retailers using the Australia Post Metro service covering the lifestyle, fashion, beauty and FMCG space, with more retailers coming online every month. This new service provides a more agile, flexible delivery option as we head into our busiest time of year.” Mr. Starr said.

    Jo-Ann Hicks, Director of BIG W’s Ecom and Digital business says, “BIG W is excited to offer Australia Post’s next day delivery service to our Adelaide customers, giving them the opportunity to receive their BIG W shopping quickly by ordering online. Next day delivery joins many convenient ways to shop at BIG W including Pick up and Direct to Boot services.”

    In less than a year since the launch of Australia Post Metro across Australia, more than 2.6 million parcels have been delivered and this is expected to continue growing strongly as demand for this product increases, and new retail partners come on board.

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  • Apple Maps and Apple Music are getting these new features in iOS 18

    Apple Maps and Apple Music are getting these new features in iOS 18

    It almost felt as though Apple Music wasn’t invited to WWDC yesterday, and the app may look the same following the update to iOS 18. However, Apple Music will have a couple of new features that will kick in once you install iOS 18 on your iPhone. One new feature, called Music Haptics, uses the Taptic Engine on an iPhone to produce taps and vibrations that will match the song being played on Apple Music.

    This new feature is actually more important than you might think since it will help those who are deaf or have difficulty hearing “feel the music.” And that is why the feature will be found under the accessibility settings in iOS 18. After installing the latter, go to Settings > Accessibility > Music Haptics and toggle on the feature. You’ll also be able to test out Music Haptics.

    The other new feature allows those without an Apple Music subscription to have control over the music heard on a SharePlay session. Instead of requiring SharePlay users to have an Apple Music subscription, users can share control of music sourced from a HomePod, Apple TV, or any Bluetooth-enabled speaker. As Apple itself notes on its iOS 18 Services preview page, “Participants do not need to have an Apple Music subscription to contribute to what’s playing.”

    What changes are coming to the always-improving Apple Maps app in iOS 18? Suppose we told you that hikes and custom walking maps will be available. According to Apple, users will be able to browse through thousands of hikes found in U.S. national parks. These can be filtered by length, elevation, and route type and can be saved for those times when you’re offline. With just a few taps, users will be able to create a custom walking route whether it’s a local exercise route or a full-day walking tour in a city you’ve never been to before.

    With the all-new Places Library, you can save your national park hikes, custom walking routes, and other places and you’ll be able to add personal notes about each one. This way you can remind yourself about certain aspects of these routes that might be important to remember. And helping Apple Maps create these hikes and walking maps will be the app’s new ability to show topographic maps. These maps show the ups and downs of an area’s terrain in 3D shown on a 2D map.

    Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, said about Apple iPhone users, “We’re excited to give them even more to love about our services, like the ability to explore national parks with hikes in Apple Maps…and enjoy music with loved ones through SharePlay in Apple Music.”

    As you know, the iOS 18 developer beta is available now and the public beta will be available next month. The stable final version of iOS 18 will be available this September.

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  • WhatsApp testing the ability to pin up to two channels

    WhatsApp testing the ability to pin up to two channels

    WhatsApp, the global chat app owned by Meta, is ever-changing and evolving by adding new user features. Lately, it was found that WhatsApp was enhancing its user experience with a new feature currently being tested in the Android Beta version 2.24.13.3. Select beta testers are now able to pin up to two of their favorite channels to the top of their channels list, making it easier to stay connected and informed with the content they value most.

    Before, users had to scroll through their entire channels list to find their most frequently visited ones. However, this newest update has been reported to address this issue by allowing users to select and pin up to two channels to the top, making them easily accessible whenever they open the updates tab.

    In addition to pinning, users can now perform bulk actions on multiple channels simultaneously, such as muting, marking as read, or even pinning them together. This streamlined functionality is a welcome addition for users managing numerous channels, where taking these actions could become time-consuming.

    Users can easily access their favorite channels without scrolling through their entire list by pinning their favorite channels, especially when there is more than one. This not only saves time but also improves the overall navigation experience within the app. This enhanced accessibility encourages users to stay more informed and engaged with their preferred channels, as they are more likely to see and interact with the latest updates, which would be more visible if they are pinned.

    The new multiple pinning feature is currently available to a limited number of beta testers who have installed the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store. However, it is expected that WhatsApp will gradually roll it out to more users in the coming days, offering users a new way of organizing their WhatsApp channels.

  • Singapore banks intensify wealthy client checks after $2.2B money laundering case

    Singapore banks intensify wealthy client checks after $2.2B money laundering case

    Citigroup, DBS Group Holdings and other banks involved in Singapore’s historic S$3 billion (US$2.2 billion) money laundering scandal, are increasing scrutiny of their rich customers to prevent involvement with illegal money flows.
    Citi has instructed its wealth bankers to complete training on warning signs of money laundering within a month, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News.

    These signs include clients from China’s Fujian and Guangdong provinces who do not speak English but hold “golden” passports from countries like Turkey, Saint Kitts and Nevis, or Vanuatu.

    Significant transfers labeled as “loan repayments” to Citi customers from Hong Kong-based firms with no online presence are another red flag.

    Swiss investment bank UBS Group, which acquired lender Credit Suisse in 2023, is also providing additional staff training.

    Credit Suisse and Citigroup’s local unit held the largest amounts on deposit for the convicted in the scandal.

    Singapore’s largest bank DBS Group, which had about S$100 million in exposure, is tightening its processes for vetting major client transactions.

    Additionally, private bankers across several institutions are undergoing extra training to detect methods used by criminals to conceal their backgrounds and sources of funds.

    Lenders in Singapore are voluntarily enhancing controls to close loopholes that allowed a group of criminals from China to launder more than S$3 billion in proceeds from online gambling through at least 16 financial institutions in the city-state’s largest-ever money laundering case, which came to light in August 2023, The Straits Times reported.

    The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank, recently completed on-site inspections of some banks that were involved in the case.

    Banks that had extensive dealings with the criminals through deposit accounts, loans, and other financial services are expected to face fines and other punitive measures from the financial regulator once the review concludes.

    MAS will also evaluate whether these institutions have implemented adequate and appropriate safeguards against money laundering and terrorism financing and take action if they have not met the required standards, The Business Times reported.

    The regulator also requested that banks not linked to the case have their know-your-customer (KYC) measures reviewed by external consultants.

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  • Air India Express flight attendant arrested for concealing 1kg of gold in rectum

    Air India Express flight attendant arrested for concealing 1kg of gold in rectum

    An Air India Express air hostess was detained for allegedly smuggling 960 grams (2.1 lbs) of gold by concealing it in her rectum.

    The 26-year-old flight attendant, identified as Surabhi Khatun, was detained on May 28 upon landing at Kannur Airport in Kerala, India, according to a source from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)

    This marks the first instance in India where an airline crew member has been arrested for smuggling gold through rectal concealment.

    A comprehensive investigation has been launched, with initial evidence indicating Surabhi Khatun’s involvement in multiple gold smuggling activities.

    DRI officials have also questioned several other cabin crew members suspected of connections to a gold smuggling ring operating in Kerala.

    Earlier, the Customs Preventive Commissionerate in Kerala arrested another Air India Express cabin crew member, Shafi, for smuggling 1.45 kg of gold at Kochi airport last March.

    Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India, operates over 380 daily flights, connecting 32 domestic and 14 international airports with a fleet of 74 aircraft.

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  • Star Alliance commemorates 10 years at Heathrow Terminal 2

    Star Alliance commemorates 10 years at Heathrow Terminal 2

    Together with its member airlines, Star Alliance is delighted to complete a decade of excellence at Terminal 2 – its home at Heathrow. The Queen’s Terminal has served as the base for 23 Star Alliance member airlines, facilitating smooth transfers and operations for over 15 million passengers every year, representing nearly 20% of the available seat capacity from the airport.

    In celebration of the occasion, Theo Panagiotoulias, Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer said: “Heathrow stands as a vital hub for our member airlines. With our collective offerings at the shared terminal, we’re proud to facilitate seamless experiences for thousands of passengers daily. On behalf of our member airlines, I extend gratitude to Heathrow for its decade-long support, enabling superior traveller experiences every day and for years to come.”

    Under the “Move Under One Roof” strategic initiative, Star Alliance consolidated its member airlines at a single location in 2014, establishing a true alliance hub. This initiative enables passengers to easily connect between Star Alliance member airlines, significantly streamlining airport operations and enhancing the experience.

    Ross Baker, Chief Customer Officer, Heathrow said, “Heathrow is delighted to celebrate a decade of delivering excellent service to passengers travelling through Terminal 2, previously voted ‘Best Terminal in the World’ at the World Sky Awards by Skytrax. In collaboration with our partner airlines, including Star Alliance and its member airlines, we have seen almost 73 million passengers travel through Terminal 2’s doors and enjoy the world-class retail and food and beverage options available. Reaching this landmark is an opportunity for us to enjoy looking back on a decade of achievements, while also looking ahead to the next ten years as we continue to create an extraordinary airport that is fit for the future.”

    Customers are welcomed by the prominent Star Alliance branding positioned above the airline check-in counters at Departures in T2. Together with member airlines, Star Alliance provides facilities for a seamless airport experience, including:

    • Gold Track Security: A benefit that offers faster security access via dedicated lanes for Star Alliance Gold status customers, regardless of the cabin they travel in.
    • Baggage Tracking: A service that allows passengers to know where their bags are as they move on the journey. Each day at London Heathrow, over 85,000 bags on Star Alliance member airline flights are scanned for the customers’ peace of mind.
    • Star Connection Centre: A service designed to expedite passengers with tight connections by providing fast-track access through the airport. The Heathrow Star Connection Centre takes pride in expediting over 1000 passengers and 750 bags monthly, saving costs for member airlines and enhancing travellers’ experience.
    • Complimentary Heathrow Express Upgrade: Star Alliance Gold status customers enjoy exclusive and free upgrades to the Business First cabin on Heathrow Express between the airport and Paddington station. Starting June 2024, this offer extends to one companion travelling with the Gold status customer.

    From Terminal 2, 23 Star Alliance airlines – Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines and United – currently offer 124 flights a day to 44 destinations in 23 countries.

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  • Samsung factories in Vietnam back in the black after losing quarter

    Samsung factories in Vietnam back in the black after losing quarter

    Samsung’s four factories in Vietnam made a combined profit of US$1.2 billion last quarter after losing $181 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Samsung Thai Nguyen (SEVT), the Korean conglomerate’s best-performing plant in Vietnam, accounted for $707 million.

    The two plants in Bac Ninh Province, Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEV) and Samsung Display Vietnam (SDV), contributed $300 million and $123 million. Samsung Electronics HCMC CE Complex (SEHC) was $40.7 million in the black.

    They accounted for 23% of their parent’s quarterly profit. Their revenues totaled $16.25 billion, up nearly $2 billion from the previous quarter.

    In the final quarter of 2023 SEV, SEVT and SEHC reported combined losses of nearly $221 million, with SDV being the only profitable operation.

    Last quarter Samsung achieved global revenues of 71.92 trillion won ($54 billion), up 13% year-on-year.

    It said revenues increased thanks to the sales of the Galaxy S24 smartphone series and higher semiconductor prices.

    The depreciation of the won against major currencies had a positive impact on profits, it said.

    During a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh last month, the company’s CFO, Park Hark Kyu, said it plans to invest a further $1 billion annually in Vietnam to add to its existing $22 billion.

    It also plans to increase its number of local suppliers and enhance training for its workforce, he said. Since 2014 the number of Vietnamese businesses involved in Samsung’s supply chain has increased 12-fold to 309 now. It is the largest foreign direct investor in Vietnam, where it currently produces over 50% of all its mobile phones.

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  • Report reveals that Siri will never be the same once iOS 18 is released

    Report reveals that Siri will never be the same once iOS 18 is released

    Siri, as we know her, is never going to be the same once iOS 18 starts rolling out in September. And this Monday Apple will preview the changes it is making to its Virtual Digital Assistant and we are there for it. Hey, it’s not like Siri doesn’t work but she’s like the friend you knew in school who had the intelligence to be anything she wanted to be but never lived up to her potential.

    AppleInsider was able to discover everything that Siri will be able to do starting in iOS 18. According to the report, the native apps that will get the new Siri features include:

    • Books
    • Calendar
    • Camera
    • Contacts
    • Files
    • Freeform
    • Generative Playground (internal)
    • Keynote
    • Mail
    • Magnifier
    • News
    • Notes
    • Photos
    • Reminders
    • Safari
    • Stocks
    • System Settings
    • Voice Memos

    Inside these apps, Siri will be able to help you toggle switches and you’ll be able to make changes to an app using your voice instead of using your fingers. For example, in the Camera app Siri will be able to toggle on video recording, open up a specific photography mode including photo, portrait, video, slow motion, set a timer, and flip from the back camera array to the front-facing camera.

    Inside the Mail app, Siri will not only be able to place your email into categories like Commerce, News, Promotions, Social, Transactions, and Other, but she will also compose an email, un-send an email, reply to all recipients of an email, create smart replies to emails, summarize emails and more. The Smart Replies will be written by Apple’s on-device Large Language Model (LLM) although more complex responses will be handled by cloud-based servers.

    The Notes app is also benefiting greatly from Siri’s AI infusion and it will store audio recordings, transcriptions of said recordings, and even better yet, a summarization of the recording. Apple is also adding Math Notes which will allow the user to add complex math equations and graphs to a note.

    With the Photos app, you’ll be able to ask Siri to show you photos of certain individuals, pets, places, landmarks, and more. You can also request that Siri rotate a photo, rename an album, make copies, move photos to albums, hide photos with certain people, places, and things from a specific time, add filters to photos, and more.

    With Safari, the new AI-powered Siri will deliver summaries of the content on the screen, create and open tabs, and possibly feature “Web Eraser” which will remove text, images, and even ad banners on a website. Remembering which content you selected to erase on other sites, Safari would remove them from other webpages as well. Complaints from media organizations might force Apple to remove this feature before iOS 18 is released.

    It would be great if Apple used the new AI-laden Siri to pick stocks that are 100% certain to move higher, but alas, Siri will be limited to helping you create your watchlist and she will show you the latest business news. Other interesting non-AI upgrades include one that will allow users to add a note in Apple Maps to specific locations. For example, you could write a note to remind yourself not to order a specific entree at a certain restaurant because you got food poisoning the last time you ordered it. The notes would only appear for the person who wrote them.

    Another upgrade not related to AI has to do with a new calculator app for iOS that will, for the first time, work on the iPad. Called Project GreyParrot, it will include a sidebar showing the history of the current calculations and an improved method to convert unit measurements.

    The festivities start Monday, June 10th, starting at 10 am PDT/1 pm EDT. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting for Apple to make some changes to Siri for years. Monday should be a very exciting day.

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  • WhatsApp beta tests smarter status update ranking

    WhatsApp beta tests smarter status update ranking

    WhatsApp, the popular Meta-owned messaging, never seems to rest on its laurels. Always testing new features, the company recently revamped the status updates tray in their Android beta, giving it a sleek new look with bigger thumbnails and a more modern layout. But the changes don’t stop there – WhatsApp appears to be doubling down on enhancing the status update experience, with a particular focus on making sure you see updates from the people you care about most.

    A new feature currently being tested in the Android beta, dubbed “ranked status updates,” aims to prioritize updates from your most important contacts. This means that instead of seeing updates in strictly chronological order, WhatsApp will intelligently reorder them. This is based on several factors, including how often you interact with each contact, whether they’re pinned to the top of your chats, and how recently you’ve messaged them.

    Even status updates that are about to expire will get a boost, ensuring you don’t miss out on those fleeting moments. Notably, official WhatsApp updates will remain at the top of the list, guaranteeing you never miss important announcements from the app itself.

    Keen-eyed users may notice the absence of timestamps on status updates. This is a deliberate design choice, as WhatsApp shifts its focus from displaying the newest updates to showcasing the most relevant ones. Reportedly, all the data used for ranking updates remains on your device, so your privacy is not compromised.

    However, this new feature isn’t without its quirks. If you reinstall WhatsApp or link a new device, the ranking system essentially resets, meaning it will take some time for the app to relearn your preferences. Additionally, if you use WhatsApp on multiple devices, the order of status updates may vary slightly due to differences in synced chat histories.

    As of now, the ranked status updates feature is only available to a limited number of beta testers. But if it proves successful, it’s likely to be rolled out to a wider audience in the near future. So keep an eye on those WhatsApp updates – your status feed could soon become a whole lot more personalized and engaging.

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