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Tag: asia

  • Simplifying its app for users, Waze removes one crowdsourced reporting choice

    Simplifying its app for users, Waze removes one crowdsourced reporting choice

    Can you believe that it has been nearly 11 years since Google bought Waze for more than $1 billion? Many people were confused at the time, and many still are, as to why Google made the acquisition considering that it owned the number one navigation app in Google Maps. Part of the reason was to allow Google to obtain some of the features that Waze offers but Google Maps doesn’t.

    The thing is that both navigation apps cater to different users. Google Maps not only shows you how to get from point “A” to point “B” quickly and safely, but it also shows you where to go when you arrive at “B” if you want a meal, need a hotel room, want to be entertained, need a cup of Joe, or want to visit a local landmark. Waze, on the other hand, is all about the journey, and instead of using data and algorithms, Waze depends on crowdsourced information that members of the Waze community share using their phones.

    According to Autoevolution, Waze has removed the option that users had to report when there is a “vehicle on road.” This was an important road hazard to know about since no one wants to be motoring along at the speed limit only to end up rear-ending the stuck car. But Waze wanted to simplify the reporting options and figured that users would understand that the new “blocked lane” option could also include a “vehicle on road.” After all, a vehicle stuck on a road is also usually blocking a lane.

    Based on a survey that was conducted by finance app MarketWatch, Google Maps is the most popular navigation app with 70% of respondents saying that they use the app for navigation. Waze was second as 27% of those surveyed admitted to using the app. Apple Maps, available only on Apple devices, is used by 25% of those surveyed.

    If you’ve never tried Waze, you might want to give it a shot. You can choose from a wide range of voices giving you the turn-by-turn directions including your own! If you have an iPhone, you can tap on this link to install the app. Android users can load the Waze app from the Google Play Store.

  • PepsiCo to invest $400M more in two new plants in Vietnam

    PepsiCo to invest $400M more in two new plants in Vietnam

    U.S. food and beverage giant PepsiCo has committed to investing an additional US$400 million to build two new plants powered by renewable energy in Vietnam, its government said.

    The announcement came last Friday as delegations of more than 60 U.S. enterprises, including Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam Beverage, paid a 3-day work visit to Vietnam last week.

    The Vietnamese government said one beverage manufacturing factory will be in southern Long An Province and cost over $300 million, and another for food processing will be in northern Ha Nam Province, with an investment of $90 million.

    The report did not give details on the commissioning time of the two factories.

    Late last year, the company said it had been granted an investment certificate for the Ha Nam factory, which was scheduled to start operating in the third quarter of 2025.

    PepsiCo, which runs five factories across Vietnam, entered the country in 1994.

  • AirAsia Cambodia to launch in May, with international flights following in third quarter

    AirAsia Cambodia to launch in May, with international flights following in third quarter

    AirAsia’s Cambodian unit will commence operations on 2 May, as the low-cost operator looks to drive tourism demand into the country.

    Launching with a network of three domestic points, AirAsia Cambodia will link its Phnom Penh hub with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville using a fleet of two Airbus A320s.

    Airline chief Vissoth Nam says that the airline is also looking to commence international flights as soon as the third quarter of the year – with the airline looking at existing AirAsia hubs Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, as well as Singapore.

    When it launches, AirAsia Cambodia will fly daily between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, and Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh.

    National carrier Cambodia Angkor Air is currently the sole domestic operator in the country: it has two daily flights between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and one daily flight between Sihanoukville and Siem Reap. There are no airlines flying between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.

    Vissoth, speaking at the airline’s launch event in Phnom Penh, adds that the airline is starting with domestic flights to drive its brand awareness within the country, as it awaits regulatory approvals to commence international services.

    In the longer term, the airline hopes to grow its fleet to 16 aircraft, he adds.

    The airline, which is starting with 88 employees, is 51% controlled by AirAsia Aviation, with local firm Sivilai Asia controlling the remaining 49%. It is the group’s fifth airline unit after Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia.

    AirAsia Cambodia’s launch has been delayed for months – the airline unit was to have begun operations in late-2023. AirAsia Aviation Group chief Bo Lingam attributes the slip to the global supply chain crunch. “That’s the basic issue… and for us to get planes into service…[and] the parts we need – the whole supply chain has been affected worldwide,” he adds.

    Lingam says AirAsia Cambodia “will be connecting the dots” in the group’s Southeast Asia network strategy.

    While the unit will initially feed traffic into the broader group’s network via hubs in Malaysia and Thailand, Lingam envisages the airline also operating its own flights to areas in North Asia, China and India.

    “The launch of AirAsia Cambodia represents more than adding a new airline for the group… it symbolises our commitment to empowering communities and driving economic development across the region.”

    AirAsia MRO sister unit Asia Digital Engineering is also expanding its presence in the country, working with Sivilai on a new mainteance joint venture based in Phnom Penh.

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  • Vietnam ranks third in crypto gains

    Vietnam ranks third in crypto gains

    Vietnam ranked third globally in cryptocurrency gains last year with US$1.18 billion in profits, according to a report from U.S. crypto data provider Chainalysis.

    It was behind the U.S. ($9.36 billion) and the U.K. ($1.39 billion). China and Indonesia were in fourth and fifth places with $1.15 billion and $1.06 billion.

    Vietnam’s crypto gains were doubled that of Spain and the Philippines and triple that of Thailand.

    Eight countries recorded more than $1 billion.

    Chainalysis said the positive trends of 2023 have carried over into 2024, with notable crypto assets like Bitcoin achieving all-time highs in the wake of Bitcoin exchange-traded fund approvals and increased institutional adoption.

    “If these trends continue, we may see gains more in line with those we saw in 2021,” it said, adding that as of March 13 Bitcoin was up 65.4% and Ether was up 70.2%.

    The large crypto gains in Vietnam, however, might be enjoyed only by the minority.

    A report by Coin98 Insights earlier this year showed that 64% recorded no profit last year, with 44% of them making losses.

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  • WhatsApp could double the length of status videos

    WhatsApp could double the length of status videos

    WhatsApp seems to have rolled out a bunch of updates in the last couple of weeks for those enrolled in the beta program. While many of these updates address various bugs, some of them introduce new features that users can test and provide feedback.

    With WhatsApp beta version 2.24.7.6, the developer is increasing the length of videos users can add to their status. Currently, WhatsApp users can add videos of up to 30 seconds to their status, but the latest beta version of the up extends the length to 1 minute.

    Discovered by the folks at WABetaInfo, the new feature that allows users to share videos of up to 1 minute in length via status updates seems to be only available to select WhatsApp beta testers on Android.

    While this certainly isn’t a core WhatsApp feature, it’s nice to know that developers are listening to feedback and try to accommodate many of the requests that make sense.

    As with all the beta features, it’s hard to say whether or not this will make it to the stable version of WhatsApp. Still, since it doesn’t seem to be that hard to implement, chances are that all WhatsApp users on Android will eventually be able to share longer videos via status updates.

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  • WhatsApp on Android may soon be getting voice message transcription like on iOS

    WhatsApp on Android may soon be getting voice message transcription like on iOS

    For nearly a year, iOS users have enjoyed the convenience of transcribing WhatsApp voice messages. Now, it’s looking like WhatsApp is working to bring the same functionality to Android, and its users may soon get the same time-saving feature.

    TheSpAndroid‘s @AssembleDebug completed an APK breakdown that reveals there is code in WhatsApp Beta for Android (version 2.24.7.7) that indicates this feature is in development. Furthermore, the code also reveals that enabling transcription will require a 150MB download, suggesting that the feature relies on your device’s speech recognition software.

    The feature is expected to be located within the Settings > Chats menu, mirroring the feature’s location on iOS devices. End-to-end encryption will also apply to voice transcripts, meaning that your privacy will remain intact even when your voice messages are turned into text.

    The feature could not be activated yet, leaving only the strings in the code to go off of. This means that screenshots could not be gathered, which strongly suggests that this feature is still in its very early stages. However, WhatsApp’s timeline for new features can often be unpredictable, so while there is no specific date for when this feature will become widely available, it could appear in future WhatsApp beta releases at any time.

    Once released, this move will put WhatsApp on a more even footing with rivals like Telegram and Google Messages, which already offer transcription tools on Android. However, it is unclear if there will be limitations on the use of this feature. While Google Messages has a free transcription service, Telegram limits non-premium users to a few transcripts per week.

    It will be interesting to see how WhatsApp decides to implement this feature and if they will follow a similar model or offer it without restrictions. This could potentially impact the user experience and determine how successful the feature will be in attracting new users to the platform.

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  • Apple in talks to license Google’s Gemini AI to improve Siri, add new iOS features

    Apple in talks to license Google’s Gemini AI to improve Siri, add new iOS features

    The upcoming iOS 18 update is expected to be one of the biggest-if not the biggest-in iOS history. Part of that is due to the myriad AI features that Apple will be adding to the operating system including possible improvements to digital assistant Siri. While the date has not yet been announced, many iPhone users are looking forward to this June’s WWDC 2024 developer conference to see what changes Apple plans for its digital assistant.

    When Siri first hit the scene in 2011 with the introduction of the iPhone 4s, it appeared that Apple was on to something big. But eventually, Siri’s capabilities and performance were surpassed by Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa and a shot of AI could be the cure for what ails the old gal. Apple is talking with Google about licensing the latter’s Gemini AI. The talks between the two tech giants have progressed to the negotiating stage.

    Besides improving Siri, Apple hopes to use Gemini to add new AI-based features to iOS 18. Apple and Google already have an agreement to make Google the default search engine on Safari, a deal that reportedly pays Apple nearly $20 billion annually. Because the DOJ is investigating this deal, any deal involving Apple and Google, including one that would allow Apple to use Gemini, would probably have to be agreed to by the Justice Department or some other regulatory agency in the U.S.

    On Android, users can install the Gemini app and opt-in to have Gemini replace the Google Assistant although some features, such as reminders, controlling media, and routines will not work with Gemini. If you opted in to replace Google Assistant with Gemini and want to switch back, go to the Gemini app, tap the profile icon, go to settings, tap on “Digital assistants from Google” at the bottom, and select Google Assistant. On iOS, Gemini can be accessed from the Gemini tap in the top center of the Google app, right under the digital assistant.

    Should Apple and Google agree to license Gemini, we should see a greatly improved Siri, which is what all iPhone users have been hoping for.

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  • Google Wallet is rolling out support for Apple Wallet pass files

    Google Wallet is rolling out support for Apple Wallet pass files

    Last year, Google Wallet rolled out a new feature that allowed users to share boarding passes and event tickets with others via a link. This feature was designed as a convenient way to share passes with friends and family, but mostly for those who didn’t actually have the Google Wallet app installed on their devices, such as iOS users. Now, a new update is rolling out that expands on this and now allows Apple Wallet passes to be used in Google Wallet as well.

    This update, which Android expert Mishaal Rahman documented, aims to narrow the disparity with Apple Wallet. Apple currently holds an advantage in this area due to its wide use among apps and services that distribute digital tickets and passes on iPhones. Additionally, it provides a more streamlined and integrated experience for users, as it most often provides the “Add to Apple Wallet” option.

    This hasn’t always been the case with Android devices, as “Add to Google Wallet” isn’t as universally available and recognized. However, with Google Wallet adopting support for “pkpass” files, which are used to add passes to Apple Wallet on the iPhone, this can quickly change and help standardize the process across both Android and iPhone devices.

    By expanding support for “pkpass” files, Android devices can now offer a similar level of convenience and integration when it comes to adding tickets and passes. This move by Google Wallet could potentially bridge the gap between the two platforms in terms of digital ticketing services.

    As promised over a year ago by Google, this support is now beginning to reach some Android users. However, despite some users confirming that “pkpass” files are opening in Wallet and importing to the app successfully, the functionality remains a server-side update on Google’s end. It will be interesting to see how this change impacts the user experience and convenience for consumers using Google Wallet on Android devices.

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  • Chrome for Android will soon allow you to use your preferred password manager

    Chrome for Android will soon allow you to use your preferred password manager

    Google Chrome might be the default browser on many Android phones, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only – or even the best – option. Browsers like Firefox, with its expanded extension support, and privacy-focused browsers loaded with anti-tracking features, offer compelling reasons to switch. Now, Chrome is making a change that lessens one major reason for users to jump ship.

    Historically, if you wanted to use a password manager on Chrome for Android, you were stuck with Google’s solution. However, a new hidden setting finally lets you choose your preferred password manager. This means if you use a service like LastPass, Bitwarden, or 1Password, you can now integrate it seamlessly into Chrome on Android.

    This was spotted by Leopeva64 on X who shared his discovery while going through the code. According to him, this can be enabled right now on the Stable, Beta, and Canary builds of Chrome on Android, but the experimental flag “enable-autofill-virtual-view-structure” will need to be enabled first before the setting can show up. Once enabled, a new autofill option will appear within settings that will allow you to decide between the default (Google Password Manager) or other providers.

    This new feature is currently in development and not yet working as it should. For instance, attempts to save a new password after entering one failed, indicating that there is still work to do before the public can use it. The feature will likely undergo further testing and improvements before it no longer needs an experimental flag.

    Chrome’s lack of flexibility in this respect was a point of frustration for those who preferred a dedicated password manager. This integration, when released, will streamline your browsing and give you greater control over the password services you use. While a little more polish is needed, users now have more reasons to consider sticking with Chrome on Android.

  • How The Body Shop Vietnam does business

    How The Body Shop Vietnam does business

    Operated by a Malaysian firm in some Southeast Asian locations, cosmetics retail chain The Body Shop Vietnam posted its first loss last year after three years of declining profits.

    InNature Berhad, which owns The Body Shop Vietnam, said that the company has been unaffected by the shutdown of The Body Shop U.S. operations last week. The company also operates The Body Shop in Malysia and Cambodia.

    The Body Shop, a 50-year-old brand founded in the U.K, has been scaling down its operations in the U.K. and Canada.

    The first The Body Shop store in Ho Chi Minh City opened in 2009. After 15 years, it now has 41 outlets nationwide.

    Revenues before Covid-19 were on the rise from VND112 billion in 2018 to VND162 billion in 2020. Its annual growth rate of over 20% were higher than InNature Berhad’s revenue, which dropped 8.8%.

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  • UBS Asia Job Cuts Show What Switzerland Faces

    UBS Asia Job Cuts Show What Switzerland Faces

    It is a year since the government and regulators forced UBS to rescue Credit Suisse. The recent news of job cuts in Asia makes it very clear what could be just around the corner for the domestic financial hubs.

    UBS is cutting about 70 jobs in Asia, according to various media reports on Thursday. Most of the redundancies are taking place in Singapore and Hong Kong.

    The step also ostensibly affects the bank’s core Global Wealth Management (GWM) business even though the number of employees has been growing steadily in that region since 2022. But as UBS reported in February, the Asia Pacific made significantly less money in the fourth quarter of last year. Pre-tax profit fell by 46 percent to $97 million compared to the same period a year earlier. At the same time, the cost-income ratio rose to 87.7 percent.

    That is in itself remarkable. Besides the US, Asia is a strategic growth market for the bank. Both regions are integral to its future financial success and key to its investment growth story with UBS making large investments in both markets in recent years. The results are there for everyone to see, particularly after integrating Credit Suisse’s business. There is no other bank in Asia that has such a large wealth management business with such high levels of invested assets.

    At the end of 2022, before the forced takeover of Credit Suisse, about 16,500 individuals worked at UBS in Asia Pacific. At the time, that was 22 percent of the group’s entire workforce.

    The current job cuts are likely due to plain economics. But they also have to be seen in the context of a wider restructuring. This has now started just about a year after the government and regulators forced UBS to take over its former rival and Switzerland’s second-largest bank. That is also exactly what the bank announced in February.

    Singapore, Hong Kong, and Luxembourg come first, followed by Switzerland afterward, an order of events that is expected to hold up over the next few years.

    We got a taste of that this year. In April, the bank will start consolidating its branch network with that of Credit Suisse’s domestic business. About 85 branches belonging to both will be impacted by the consolidation. What is currently happening in Singapore and Hong Kong shows what can be expected in Switzerland very soon.

    Moreover, when following the UBS schedule step-by-step, it is clear that the domestic market is to see very significant disruption.

    The integration of the franchises of the country’s two largest banks will change the financial hub sustainably and substantively. And it will be on a scale that we can’t yet really imagine. With that, the fact that UBS’s management is not wasting any time should be welcomed. The sooner the process is completed, the sooner the bank can concentrate on its actual job. Focusing on doing business with clients.

    As part of that, it will be this exact core business experiencing the current round of cuts that will determine the success of its efforts to become a wealth management powerhouse – both in Asia and Switzerland.

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  • Google Messages gets new Camera UI for users to access during a chat

    Google Messages gets new Camera UI for users to access during a chat

    Google is adding a new camera UI for Google Messages that Android users can employ instead of relying on their phones’ default viewfinder. The camera UI can be accessed from within a Google Messages conversation using the camera icon inside the text field. Before Google started to push out this change, those using the Google Messages app would have to use the system camera app for a preview.

    Before the update, Pixel users accessing the system camera app could customize the White Balance, and exposure, and set a timer if they so desired. The new viewfinder for Google Messages users is built using the Compose toolkit that Google recommends for building Android user interfaces, and it is stripped down more than the system camera app UI used now. The controls will allow users to adjust the zoom using three default settings and pinch-to-zoom. There is also a button to enable or disable flash, found in the upper right corner, and a button to switch between using the rear and front-facing cameras.

    A new feature added to the Google Messages camera UI appears on the bottom of the screen and allows users to switch between taking a photograph and recording a video. With this new feature, you can choose between capturing an image or recording a video after opening the camera app. Previously, the user had to make this decision before opening the Google Messages camera UI.

    The new Google Messages camera UI is being disseminated today via a server-side update and appears on beta version 20240312_00_RC00 of the Google Messages app. To see which version of the Google Messages app you’re running on your Android phone, go to Settings > Apps and tap on “See all xxx apps.” Scroll down to Messages and tap on it. That takes you to the Google Messages App info page. Scroll all the way to the bottom to see which version of the app you’re running.

    On my Pixel 6 Pro running Android 14 QPR3 beta 2, the version of Messages I have is 20240126_04_RC00 which means that I do not have the new Messages camera UI at this time. You can see if the update with the latest version is in your app update queue by opening the Play Store and tapping on the profile icon in the upper right corner. From the menu that appears, click on Manage apps & device, and under Updating apps, tap the blue link to Update all and hope that the new feature is part of an update pushed out to Google Messages that was waiting to be installed.

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  • Singaporean women earn 14.3% less than men

    Singaporean women earn 14.3% less than men

    The median income difference between women and men working in Singapore was 14.3% last year, down from 16.3% in 2018, according to the Ministry of Manpower’s study.

    Differences in occupation between men and women remained the key factor influencing the gender pay gap. Men are overrepresented in higher-paying occupations, according to a study examining the incomes of full-time employees aged 25 to 54, who are either Singaporean or permanent residents.

    Women often receive lower pay than men, even when they share the same job title, work in the same industry, and have similar age and education levels.

    In 2023, 75% of women were employed in professional, managerial, executive, and technician (PMET) roles, marking an 8.8 percentage point rise from 2018. Meanwhile, the proportion of men in PMET positions climbed by 6.3 percentage points, reaching 79.4% in 2023.

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  • South Korean burger chain Mom’s Touch enters Japan

    South Korean burger chain Mom’s Touch enters Japan

    Korean burger and chicken fast food chain Mom’s Touch is set to open its first directly managed Japanese store in Shibuya, Tokyo.

    Scheduled to open on April 16, the new 418 sqm Shibuya store will sit in a location that used to be occupied by McDonald’s and have a seating capacity of 200 people. According to local media, the new store will be adjacent to Shibuya Scramble Square where the daily floating population reaches about 3 million people.

    “We believe this is an important first step for Mom’s Touch to make the leap to become a global brand and make full-fledged overseas expansion,” the company said in a statement.

    As part of the expansion plan, Mom’s Touch has participated in the Tokyo Franchise Show as it seeks to further expand internationally and promote its Korean burger in the country, which has a burger market estimated at US$5.3 billion.

    The company launched a pop-up store in Shibuya last October, luring about 33,000 visitors. As of February, Mom’s Touch operates 1420 stores in its home market.

    The Japan expansion follows the chain’s launch into Mongolia last year.

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  • Coupang launches overseas direct purchase service in Japan

    Coupang launches overseas direct purchase service in Japan

    Coupang customers in South Korea can now directly purchase products from Japan, thanks to the e-commerce platform’s expansion of its overseas direct purchase service.

    With Japanese products now available through the Rocket Jikgu direct purchase service, customers can now purchase food from brands such as Nissin, Meiji, LeTao, and AGF, and beauty items from brands such as Senka, Bioré, Fino, Tsubaki and P&G Japan.

    The platform will also offer home improvement brands Ishida and Joseph Joseph and stationery products from Zebra, Mitsubishi, and Pentel.

    The company first launched Rocket Jikgu in the US in 2017 and has expanded the direct purchase service since.

    The South Korean online retailing giant has then added China to its Rocket Jikgu network in 2021 and Hong Kong in 2022.

    Last year, the Japanese overseas direct purchase market grew by 11 percent, with food purchases surging about 45 percent.

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