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Tag: asia

  • Gasoline prices near 5-month bottom

    Gasoline prices near 5-month bottom

    Gasoline prices in Vietnam continued their decline on Thursday and are now at the lowest since Jan. 11.

    The popular fuel RON95 dropped 2.40% from a week ago to VND21,970 ($0.86) per liter.

    It has been on a decline since mid-April, falling 12.9% in four weeks.

    Diesel fell by 1.62% to VND19,420.

    Regulators said that prices fluctuated in the last seven days due to rising supply in the U.S. and expectations of an increase in production in OPEC+ crude oil in the fourth quarter while the Russia-Ukraine military conflict continued.

    Globally gasoline prices fell 3-4.3% and oils dropped 1.7-2.2%.

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  • WhatsApp might soon start asking you for your birth year

    WhatsApp might soon start asking you for your birth year

    A new change is coming to WhatsApp due to certain U.S. states passing age verification laws. The changes are aimed at protecting children online, and different laws and legislation bills are currently in progress.

    Now, Meta is getting WhatsApp ready for these changes. In a recent beta version for Android (v.2.24.12.25) of the app, WABetaInfo discovered code that is meant to make WhatsApp ask you for your birth year. The prompt warns that the year cannot be changed later, and you need to provide it to continue using WhatsApp.

    For now, this feature is not available to the public. Although there’s no official reason given for this feature, it’s most likely connected to the laws that are currently in the works in the U.S.

    It seems that Meta will not be showing your birth year within WhatsApp, and this prompt seems to only be for compliance with local laws.

    It’s probable this prompt will appear to you if you live in a state with age verification laws (or you’re visiting).

    These are currently the US states where verification laws have been passed:

    • Alabama
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Idaho
    • Indiana
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Nebraska
    • Oklahoma
    • South Carolina
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee

    This means when this update rolls out publicly, you’ll probably see the prompt if you live in one of them. Of course, as with anything currently in beta, we don’t know exactly when this feature will be officially released. However, it’s probably going to be sooner rather than later so that WhatsApp can be compliant with the legislation.

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  • Campari Australia MD Simon Durrant to depart next month

    Campari Australia MD Simon Durrant to depart next month

    Campari Australia’s MD, Simon Durrant, will leave the company on July 10 to pursue new opportunities. Due to family reasons, he has decided to stay in the country but will not take on another role within the company.

    During his six-year tenure, Durrant oversaw the company’s expansion and various achievements, such as expanding Campari’s product range, establishing new partnerships, and managing the company through the difficulties posed by the pandemic.

    Matthijs Kramer, CEO of Campari Asia-Pacific, highlighted Durrant’s “calm, level-headed approach” to the business in Australia and Apac.

    “We wish him well for the future, and he’ll always be welcome back at a Campari Bar for an Aperol Spritz or Negroni,” he added.

    Jacopo Borsa, MD for Mexico and Central America, will take Durrant’s place as MD for Australia.

    Borsa has been with the company for 20 years and has worked in various countries, including Spain, Jamaica, and Mexico.

    “With his strong experience in RTD (the main business in Mexico through Skyy RTD), Aperitifs, and the On-Trade channel, Jacopo is well positioned to continue the strong growth trajectory of Campari Australia,” said Campari.

    Jacopo will relocate to Sydney and work with the team for a smooth transition.

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  • Vietnam’s coffee prices on the rise

    Vietnam’s coffee prices on the rise

    Coffee prices continued to rise sharply, ranging from VND122,000 – 123,500 (US$4.8-4.86) per kilogram in the Central Highlands, Vietnam’s largest coffee growing area.

    Accordingly, the highest price was reported in Dak Nong province, at VND123,500 per kilogram on June 5.

    In Dak Lak province, coffee prices increased by VND3,000 per kilogram compared to June 4 to reach VND123,000 per kilogram. The product is being purchased at the same price in Gia Lai and Kon Tum.

    The weakening of the U.S. dollar to its lowest level in the past two weeks, and speculative activities in many countries worldwide, among other factors, are driving up the prices of most commodities, including coffee.

    The prices of Robusta coffee in London have seen significant increases, hovering around US$3,846-4,319 per tonne. Arabica coffee prices in New York have also experienced the rising trend.

    In addition to Brazil, other countries such as Colombia, Peru, and Honduras are in the coffee harvest season. Although production has slightly increased, it is still lower than market demand, leading to a continued upward trend in coffee prices.

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  • Google Maps users will have to decide when they want Google to auto-delete Timeline data

    Google Maps users will have to decide when they want Google to auto-delete Timeline data

    Google is changing how it keeps your Google Maps location data. Once backed up using cloud-based servers, this information will now be stored on-device instead. An email sent by Google to Maps users says that they have until December 1st to save all of their old journeys on their devices before this data is deleted. Keep in mind that Google is changing the name of the feature you might know as Location History to Timeline.

    Timeline (formerly Location History) is a personal map that allows you to remember routes and trips you’ve taken and places that you’ve visited in the past so that you can visit them again. Instead of having all of this data connected to your Google account, it will be stored on your iOS or Android phone. This means that you will no longer be able to view your Timeline from the web starting in December. Moving this data on-device is supposed to improve the privacy of the information since it won’t be stores in the cloud.

    But as we noted, if you use Google Maps, you will have a decision to make. You have until December 1st to decide how long you want to keep your Timeline data on your phone. You can choose to keep all data on-device until you delete it yourself, or select to have the data automatically deleted after 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months. If you fail to make a decision by December, Google will move the first 90 days of your travel history to the first device you sign into Google with. Any data older than 90 days will be deleted.

    You can decide when you want Timeline data removed from your device automatically by opening the Google Maps app and tapping on the profile icon on the right side of the search bar on the top of the screen. Next, tap on Your timeline followed by the three-dot menu icon on the upper right of the display. From the pop-up menu that appears at the bottom of the screen, choose About timeline. Under the section marked Your choices, tap the link that says Go to settings.

    You’ll be sent to a page titled Activity controls. Look for the Auto-delete line that says underneath Choose an auto-delete option. There is a small arrow on the right side. Tap it and you’ll have two choices. One says Don’t auto-delete activity. Tap on that if you don’t want Google to automatically delete your Timeline data from your phone. Or, you can select the other option which says Auto-delete activity and choose to have Timeline data older than 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months deleted automatically. Tap the one you want and Google will automatically remove your Timeline data older than the choice you made.

    No matter what you select, Google allows you to delete any Timeline data from your phone manually.

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  • Oppo details AI pivot that brings innovative features to all phones

    Oppo details AI pivot that brings innovative features to all phones

    Oppo will be democratizing the access to the most suitable device to take advantage of the AI era – the phone – by bringing its productivity and creativity features downmarket to virtually all of its handsets.

    The company behind the excellent Find X7 Ultra and foldable Find N3 phones used the festivities around its sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League and its Bouissia Dortmund – Real Madrid final to present its vision for artificial intelligence that it simply calls the AI Phone.

    However, the abovementioned flagships won’t be the only ones getting Oppo’s AI Summary, real-time Translation, or the popular AI Eraser function, which removes unwanted objects and areas in your photo with the flick of a finger.

    In fact, Oppo plans to release a coordinated set of AI features created in a partnership with juggernauts like Google, Microsoft, or MediaTek, by year’s end. These, however, won’t be reserved only for Oppo’s flagship Find- and N-series, but will trickle down to the Reno midrangers and even to the budget A- and F-series.

    According to Billy Zhang, Oppo’s President of Overseas Marketing, Sales and Services during the dedicated presentation at London’s beautiful Renaissance St. Pancras:

    OPPO is bringing generative AI to all product lines for the first time in the industry. By the end of this year, we expect to bring generative AI features to about 50 million users. That is 50 million people that may get their first glimpse of an AI-induced function or feature on their Oppo phone, no matter its price range, and the best that the industry can offer at that, like chatbots, large language models, and productivity or entertainment suites.

    Alongside its own innovation, OPPO is working closely with other industry leaders to bring better AI phone experiences based on an on-device and cloud Hybrid AI Architecture. In partnership with Google, OPPO’s Reno12 series and the next-generation Find X Flagship will feature the Google Gemini family LLMs, bringing OPPO users even more innovative and convenient AI features such as AI Toolbox including AI Writer and AI Recording Summary features. In collaboration with MediaTek, both parties are tuning chips to enhance chip storage and computational efficiency on future OPPO flagship models. And through its partnership with Microsoft, the next-generation OPPO phones will be equipped with Microsoft capabilities to bring a more efficient, accurate, and natural voice and text conversion experience and improved connectivity between desktop AI and phones.

  • DHL Express adds innovative feature on AI-powered platform to help businesses access new markets

    DHL Express adds innovative feature on AI-powered platform to help businesses access new markets

    DHL Express, the world’s leading international express service provider, has further enhanced its AI-powered platform, “My Global Trade Services” (MyGTS), with a new “trade lane comparison” feature. This feature enables businesses of all sizes to find references to existing trade lane regulations and requirements between the exporting and importing country or territory. With this, companies planning a market expansion strategy can leverage the solution to make well-informed decisions to maximize efficiency and gain competitive advantage.

    MyGTS is an online self-serve portal that helps users easily retrieve customs information to pre-plan shipments as they access new markets or launch new products. The new feature uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide an overview of the trade agreements in place and estimated duties/taxes which are included in the landed cost of the different trade routes. Landed costs can be defined as the total cost of getting a product from the factory to a customer’s door. Besides shipping fees and insurance, it includes estimated customs duties and taxes for cross-border shipments.

    On the platform, users will simply need to indicate the product they are shipping and the desired exporting and importing country or territory. This is especially useful to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), often challenged by a lack of internal resources, knowledge, and expertise to navigate a complex landscape of customs regulations and procedures.

    “Companies including SMEs are doing what they can to boost business resilience and global presence. However, SMEs tend to be impeded by the intricacies of trade regulations and processes, slowing down their expansion plans,” said Yung C. Ooi, Asia Pacific Senior Vice President for Commercial, DHL Express. “The new trade lane comparison capability helps SMEs enhance the understanding about customs requirements and landed cost. It aligns with our commitment to providing innovative solutions to help SMEs lower major trade barriers and become more confident in cross-border trade activities.”

    With this information, businesses can analyze and identify routes that offer the most favorable import and export conditions, leading to potential cost savings and increased profitability. When sourcing or procuring materials from different factories or vendors, importers can identify references of where import license or permits are required for entry. On the other hand, exporters will be informed about the import customs requirements for the products that they want to ship to the destination country or territory. This valuable insight helps businesses to define their go-to market strategy, strategically positioning themselves in new markets.

    With a heightened focus on risk mitigation and resilience, companies can leverage this feature to reduce reliance on single-sourcing locations. Moreover, businesses can tap into the burgeoning Asia market, which presents immense market opportunities fueled by many manufacturing powerhouses and emerging consumer markets. The latest DHL Global Connectedness Report shows that corporate globalization is rising, as companies invest in overseas markets, and expand their international presence.

    MyGTS is part of DHL’s Global Trade Services, which contains a suite of capabilities that help shippers easily navigate the increasingly complex customs regulations and requirements. Besides the new trade lane comparison feature, MyGTS also includes a pre-shipment planner tool that helps businesses know the import/export requirements regulations and calculate landed costs.

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  • Banks overwhelmed, unable to meet gold demand

    Banks overwhelmed, unable to meet gold demand

    Gold buyers rushed to banks early Tuesday morning to get queue tokens but many had to leave empty-handed since there were too many people.

    Nam arrived at a branch of Vietcombank in Hanoi at 7 a.m. but minutes after opening the bank said it could no longer receive more customers. “The bank took in only 40 customers and told the rest to come back tomorrow,” he said.

    On Monday he received token number 122 but only 20 people were able to buy. A staff member took his contact details and asked him to come back to buy, but when he did another told him that all scheduled purchases had been canceled and he had to queue again. Another Hanoi resident, Hoa, visited a bank for the second time on the morning but could not buy. “There was no priority for those who had queued the previous day”, she said. “We all had to queue again.”

    Since Monday the four state-owned lenders Agribank, BIDV, Vietcombank, and VietinBank saw a surge in number of customers after the State Bank of Vietnam began to distribute gold through them.

    A deputy CEO of one of the four banks, who asked to be anonymous, said that the number of buyers has exceeded the anticipation of the banks. He said that every transaction takes a long time because customers have to fill in several forms to prevent money laundering. As the banks filled up, some left to buy at stores of Saigon Jewelry Company (SJC), the state-owned gold distributor.

    But by 10.30 a.m. all SJC stores in Hanoi had run out of bullion. The situation was no better in HCMC. At an SJC store in District 3, the parking lot was full by 9.30 a.m. as customers filled up the facility. After 45 minutes of distributing tokens, the store had 300 people waiting in the queue.

    The store limited each person to one tael of 37.5 grams or 1.2 ounces. The state-owned lenders sell gold at the same prices as SJC. Saigon Jewelry Company gold bar prices dropped 1.25% to VND78.98 million ($3,107.00) per tael Tuesday morning, a three-month low.

  • Google in hot water yet again over data collection and privacy concerns

    Google in hot water yet again over data collection and privacy concerns

    A newly uncovered internal database has shed light on Google’s questionable data collection practices, raising concerns about the tech giant’s commitment to user privacy. The database, spanning from 2013 to 2018, reveals a wide range of incidents where personal data was collected and stored across various Google apps and products, including Waze, YouTube, and AdWords.

    While Google claims to prioritize transparency, the leaked database reportedly paints a different picture. Reports within the database, ranked by priority, detail instances of data collection that were often not publicly disclosed. Some incidents involved sensitive information, such as the recording of children’s voices through Gboard’s microphone and the gathering of license plate information through Street View.

    Although Google maintains that these incidents were resolved, the sheer number and variety of reports raise concerns about the company’s ability to safeguard user data. The leaked database, obtained by 404 Media, highlights the potential risks associated with Google’s vast data collection practices.

    Among the examples of data inappropriately collected or leaked were payment information for employees through travel agency software Sabre, addresses and trips taken through Waze’s carpool feature, and Docs files mistakenly made public.

    In response to the 404 Media report, Google stated that the reports were over six years old and had been reviewed and resolved. However, the company’s confirmation of “aspects” of the dataset suggests that there may be some truth to the allegations.

    This is not the first time Google has faced scrutiny over its data practices. Recent leaks of Google Search API documents, obtained by the same company, have also raised questions about the company’s transparency regarding its search operations. While potentially taking months to fully analyze, Google has not disputed the authenticity of that particular leak when questioned.

    These revelations add to a growing list of privacy concerns surrounding Google’s data collection practices, and it looks like Google has some damage control due ahead. As users become increasingly aware of this leaked material, it remains to be seen how this will impact the company’s reputation and future operations.

  • Thai Airways returns to Brussels Airport in December 2024

    Thai Airways returns to Brussels Airport in December 2024

    As of December 1st, Thai Airways will again offer daily direct passenger flights between Brussels Airport and Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. This important destination, offered before the covid pandemic, is an important addition to Brussels Airport’s intercontinental network. As a Star Alliance airline, Thai Airways strengthens Brussels Airport’s role as a European hub. Thailand remains an important tourist destination that is now once again directly accessible to Belgian passengers.

    After a four-year hiatus in the wake of the covid pandemic, Brussels Airport may once again welcome Thai Airways. This Star Alliance airline was already operating at Brussels Airport until before the covid pandemic and now chooses Brussels Airport again as their hub within the Benelux.

    “It is great news to welcome Thai Airways back to Brussels Airport. This daily direct connection to Bangkok strengthens our position as a European hub and offers our passengers even more travel options to Asia. For Thai passengers too, our airport offers an ideal gateway to the rest of Europe. We look forward to a great collaboration,” says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport.

    As from 1 December 2024, Thai Airways will immediately start with a daily flight to Bangkok. The route will be flown with a Boeing 787-8, one of the most efficient aircraft on the market both in terms of emissions and noise.

    For Brussels Airport, this offers an important addition to its intercontinental network as a major destination, both for tourism as for business travel. As a Star Alliance airline, Thai Airways is also strengthening its Star Alliance hub at Brussels Airport with home carrier Brussels Airlines. This will reconnect Thai Airways directly to the heart of Europe, with all its European and international institutions and the network offered by their Star Alliance partners at Brussels Airport to the rest of Europe and beyond.

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  • Spotify Premium prices jump again in the US

    Spotify Premium prices jump again in the US

    Spotify raised its subscription prices in the US last July, increasing the Premium individual plan by $1 to $10.99. This was just two years after a similar price hike for the Family plan in 2021. Now, a year later, Spotify is bumping up prices again. This time, all plans, including Premium Duo and Family, are affected.

    Beginning in July 2024, Spotify Premium will see a $1 increase, bringing its price to $11.99. Meanwhile, the Premium Duo plan will experience a $2 hike, raising its cost to $16.99. The Family plan will undergo the biggest increase, jumping $3 from $16.99 to $19.99.

    New users trying out Spotify will pay the current rate for the first month of their trial. After that, they will start getting charged at the higher price from their next billing cycle. Wondering why Spotify is hiking its premium plan prices again? Well, the company says:

    We’re increasing the price of Premium Individual plan so that we can continue to invest in and innovate on our product offerings and features, and bring you the best experience.

    Spotify dropped the news about the price hike in a blog post and plans to send emails to its current users. This bump in the US comes hot on the heels of a similar move in key global markets like the UK and Australia, announced just recently.

    However, the increase in prices probably won’t slow down Spotify’s expansion. Despite the hike last year, the Swedish company managed to reel in a whopping 113 million free users and 31 million paid ones in 2023. Along with some layoffs, this move helped the company bounce back, reaching more than 600 million users and almost $4 billion in revenue in Q4 2023.

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  • Auto distributor Tasco to begin assembling

    Auto distributor Tasco to begin assembling

    Tasco, a distributor for 14 auto brands, plans to branch into car assembling, and will launch its first products next year.

    At the annual general meeting last week, its management told shareholders about the plan without disclosing what brand or brands it plans to assemble.

    A person familiar with the matter told VnExpress that Tasco’s plan “might not necessarily be to assemble passenger cars.”

    Pham Van Dung, chairman of subsidiary Tasco Auto, said the company wants to work with a global top 10 auto producer.

    The partner is already selling “successfully” in Vietnam, he said.

    The products would be sold not only in Vietnam but also in markets with which it has free trade agreements, he said.

    Tasco Auto used to be Savico Holdings until its acquisition by Tasco in 2022.

    It has 84 dealerships nationwide that distribute Toyota, Ford, Honda, Mitsubishi, Volvo and other vehicles.

  • Text effects coming to Messages in iOS 18 might be able to format individual words

    Text effects coming to Messages in iOS 18 might be able to format individual words

    You know how, when you text another iPhone user the word “Congratulations,” both you and the recipient see confetti fall from the top of the screen? Text “Happy Birthday” to another iPhone user and balloons float up from the bottom of the screen. Because any messaging between iOS users and Android users, at least until later this year, is done via SMS, Android users don’t see these effects. Once iOS supports RCS, we could see the Google Messages app show these effects to Android users.

    Now, according to unnamed multiple sources cited by MacRumors, Apple is working on a new feature for iOS 18 that will create effects with the actual texted word instead of an image that represents what the word means. For example, this feature might allow you to format a word you text by adding underlining, bold, and italics to it. And again, once the iPhone supports RCS like Apple said it would before the end of this year, the new effects would also appear on an Android device.

    RCS, aka Rich Communication Services, is a platform found on certain Android messaging apps like Google Messages that delivers features similar to those found on iMessage. Such features include the ability to view high-resolution images, receive read receipts, see typing indicators, and have messages protected by end-to-end encryption. Right now, whenever an iOS user texts an Android user, the messages are sent via old-school SMS so none of these features are available.

    But wait, iPhone owners. There’s more. MacRumors says that the iOS Messages app in iOS 18 will also offer autocompletion powered by the only two letters in the alphabet that mean anything this year, AI. This feature might not be limited to the Messages app and could also be used by Siri to complete queries being typed to the virtual digital assistant.

    We should learn more on June 10th during the WWDC 2024 Keynote which will begin at 10 am PDT/1 pm EDT.

  • WhatsApp is currently testing a feature that makes sharing between Channels easier

    WhatsApp is currently testing a feature that makes sharing between Channels easier

    WhatsApp is one of those social apps that you can expect to be constantly evolving, and the latest beta update for Android (version 2.24.12.9) is no exception. Available through the Google Play Beta Program, this update offers a sneak peek into several features aimed at making content sharing on WhatsApp Channels smoother and more efficient.

    Building on recent updates that simplified forwarding channel updates, WhatsApp is now exploring ways to make it easier for channel owners to share a wider variety of content directly from their personal chats. This means users will soon be able to forward messages, photos, videos, and GIFs directly to their channels without the time-consuming workaround of saving and uploading content separately.

    WhatsApp is also working on expanding this functionality to allow users to share content from other apps directly to their channels. While these features are not yet available in the current beta version, they promise to speed up content creation for channel owners and make it easier for them to keep their followers engaged with fresh and relevant updates.

    This latest beta update aligns with WhatsApp’s ongoing commitment to enhancing channel user experience. By simplifying the process of sharing content from both personal chats and external apps, WhatsApp is making it easier for channel owners to deliver timely and entertaining updates with minimal effort.

    While the full rollout of these features is still to be determined, the beta update indicates WhatsApp intends to roll this potential very soon. However, as with any beta version, these features may undergo further refinement before being made available to the wider user base. That said, this feature’s potential benefits for both channel owners and followers is clear. By streamlining the sharing process, WhatsApp is aiming to make channels an even more valuable tool for the app’s large user base.

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  • McDonald’s Japan names Thomas Ko as next president

    McDonald’s Japan names Thomas Ko as next president

    McDonald’s Japan has selected Thomas Ko as its next president, following the departure of former chairperson Sarah Casanova.

    Ko has previously held leadership positions in the company. He joined McDonald’s in 2010 as director of consumer strategy for the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa regions. He then worked in senior positions at McDonald’s in South Korea and Portugal.

    The new president will succeed Tamotsu Hiiro, who will become chairman of McDonald’s Japan.

    Last month, former president Sarah Casanova resigned as chairperson of both the holding firm and the operating subsidiary, as she wanted to spend more time with her family.