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Tag: asia

  • Digital Banking Specialist Adnovum Secures AI Expertise

    Digital Banking Specialist Adnovum Secures AI Expertise

    IT consulting firm Adnovum has joined forces with a Swiss artificial intelligence specialist. The partners want to use the technology of the future to transform the financial sector.

    Adnovum and Squirro have embarked upon a strategic partnership, as we learned in a press release on Wednesday. The aim of this cooperation? To use Squirro’s artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing, and retrieval augmented generation technologies to enhance the digital solutions offered by Adnovum.

    Together, the two companies want to launch new offers which will transform the banking and insurance sectors, as they promoted in the press release.

    The cooperation will focus on the Swiss and Singapore markets. There, the new AI solutions are intended to go beyond the conventional digital transformation and complement human intelligence. Processes in service management and client engagement are particular focus points.

    In recent years, Adnovum has made a name for itself in digitizing the Swiss financial center, and also has a presence in Asia. Squirro was founded in 2012 and is a fast-growing company with teams in Switzerland, the United States, the U.K., and Singapore. Clients of the AI specialist include the European Central Bank and the Bank of England.

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  • Gasoline prices drop

    Gasoline prices drop

    Gasoline and diesel prices fell Thursday afternoon as global demand is forecast to fall this year.

    The popular gasoline RON95 dropped 1.34% from a week ago to VND23,590 per liter.

    Biofuel E5 RON92 fell 1.58% to VND22,470. Diesel declined by 2.11% to VND20,910.

    RON95 fell 2% to $99.7 per barrel and diesel dropped 3% to $105.03.

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  • Vietnamese fashion brand Yody launches first store in Thailand

    Vietnamese fashion brand Yody launches first store in Thailand

    Vietnamese fashion label Yody will launch its first store in Thailand, the brand’s first physical store abroad.

    The store will be located in an as yet unnamed large Bangkok shopping centre. Yody has already launched an online presence in Thailand and plans to launch in Malaysia in the future.

    Established in 2014, Yody currently has more than 270 stores across Vietnam, focusing on producing “high-quality fashion products and excellent services to customers”.

    The fashion retailer is currently hiring staff in Thailand, preparing for the launch.

    According to Yody’s website, the company has been pushing for worldwide growth since 2022, with plans to expand in the US as well, along with an e-commerce strategy through Amazon.

    Yody prioritises sustainable approaches above the fast-fashion trend. The company writes on its website that it uses S’Cafe fabric (made from coffee beans) as well as other materials such as Coolmax, Airycool, and Birdseye pique fabric.

  • Apple suppliers need 103,000 workers in Vietnam this year

    Apple suppliers need 103,000 workers in Vietnam this year

    U.S. tech giant Apple’s contract manufacturers in Vietnam plan to hire over 103,000 workers this year, mostly for their factories in northern Bac Giang Province.

    Foxconn, Apple’s biggest supplier, needs 15,000 workers for its plants in the Dinh Tram and Quang Chau industrial parks (IPs) in the first half of the year, and 12,000 in the second.

    New Wing Interconnect Technology, a Foxconn subsidiary based in the Van Trung IP, will hire 27,000 workers this year, including 6,000 in the next two months.

    Fukang Technology, another Foxconn unit with a plant in the Quang Chau IP, needs 13,600 more workers this year.

    Another Apple supplier, Luxshare-ICT, plans to hire 47,300 workers at its plants in Quang Chau and Van Trung IPs.

    It will hire 200-300 people a month in February and March before increasing it to 7,000-9,000 after June or July when it expects to receive more orders.

    All these factories require workers aged 18 to 40 who have graduated high school and are in good health.

    Foxconn is even willing to take in applicants who have only completed the sixth grade.

    All the companies will pay a basic salary of VND5 million (US$203.8), social insurance contributions and other benefits, according to Nguyen Van Hue, director of the Bac Giang Province Job Center.

    They usually attract and retain workers mainly through other benefits such as housing rent and meal allowances and overtime work, which take workers’ incomes to VND8-9 million a month, he said.

    Factories simultaneously hiring en masse makes it difficult to find enough people quickly, he said.

    In contrast to the mass layoffs early last year, factories are trying to maintain their workforces this year since they have massive orders.

    “Many companies’ human resources personnel have even traveled to small villages in the northern mountains and central region to hire people, and ask existing employees to introduce relatives and friends.”

    Bac Giang has over 7,600 businesses that employ around 306,000 workers.

    Its real estate market has been thriving for the last five or six years and several industrial zones have been built or expanded.

    Business upscaling and a surge in new orders has led to soaring demand for labor here.

    Foxconn has been present in Vietnam since 2007 when it established plants in Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces before expanding to several other northern provinces.

    It is a critical cog in Apple’s supply chain.

  • WhatsApp rolling out new text formatting features to everyone

    WhatsApp rolling out new text formatting features to everyone

    WhatsApp has been testing additional text formatting features for quite some time now. The last report involving this set of new features dates from January and included details about what new options WhatsApp users will eventually get if the app decided to give these the green light.

    Thankfully, it looks like WhatsApp is done texting these new text formatting features, at least according to The Verge. No less than four new text formatting options are now rolling out to WhatsApp users on Android, iOS, Web, and Mac.

    Starting today, WhatsApp users will be able to use block quotes, inline code, as well as bulleted and numbered lists. These new options are self-explanatory, but it’s worth noting that the inline code option allows users to highlight specific information in a wall of text. To actually enable inline code, you’ll have to wrap the text with the “’” symbol.

    In addition to these four new options, WhatsApp offers four text formatting features: Bold, Italic, Strikethrough, and Monospace. Also, each of the new text formatting option has a shortcut to make use of it on the fly.

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  • Signal announces support for usernames to hide your phone number

    Signal announces support for usernames to hide your phone number

    Signal, the popular messaging app, is introducing usernames to its platform. This optional feature allows you to connect with others without revealing your phone number, enhancing privacy on the app.

    As announced today in its blog, Signal users will be able to head to their settings and select “Profile” to create a unique username. The app will then allow its users to share said username by either generating a shareable QR code or a link. Alternatively, users can connect by typing your username into the new chat bar.

    Traditionally, Signal required the use of a phone number in order to register for an account and use its features. This translated to having to reveal your phone number to others that you exchanged messages with. While the app will still require a phone number in order to create an account, you will now have the option to shield it and instead use a username as your alias.

    Signal is also rolling out other security features, such as the ability to restrict who can find you using your phone number. This means you can prevent people from messaging or calling you on Signal, even if they know your phone number and know you have an account. Additionally, the app will now hide your phone number by default if users don’t already have it in their contact list. You can change this setting within Privacy > Phone Number > Who can see my number.

    These privacy-focused additions come after Signal began testing usernames last fall. Should you choose to go the route of creating a username, that also wouldn’t be visible on your profile details page or in chats unless you actively share it. As Randall Sarafa, Signal’s Chief Product Officer, explains, “Someone will need to know your unique username to start a chat with you on Signal.”

    While these features bolster privacy, Signal is aware of the potential for impersonation and emphasizes safety features like comparing safety numbers for verification. Currently, these features are only available in the app’s beta version, but will be rolling out to everyone in a few weeks. Your move WhatsApp!

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  • ECS Group wins Thai VietJet cargo contract in Asia

    ECS Group wins Thai VietJet cargo contract in Asia

    Low-cost carrier Thai VietJet Air has awarded the tender of its cargo operations to ECS Group with a signed master GSSA agreement with subsidiary AVS GSA Thailand, on 01 February 2024.

    ECS Group said it aims to increase revenue and cargo volumes for the airline, which operates flights across Thailand and Asia. 

    Thai VietJet Air currently operates a fleet of 18 A320-200 and A321-200 aircraft, focusing primarily on transporting general cargo and perishables. Destinations include Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

    “Thai VietJet Air has carved a solid cargo market share for itself on the Thai domestic market and offers an impressive international network across Asia – and all that without a freighter in its fleet,” said Monchai Jirakiertivadhana, CEO Indochina at AVS GSA.

    “AVS GSA therefore has an excellent base on which to further develop the airline’s cargo activities and improve its revenue performance,” he added.

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  • Google announces new feature coming to Android TV in the US

    Google announces new feature coming to Android TV in the US

    Although Google is pushing a new experience to TVs powered by Android TV, the operating system is still getting updates that includes new features or improvements meant to refine it.

    If you live in the United States and use a device powered by Android TV, you’ll be happy to know that Google is now rolling out a new update that adds a brand-new quick-access row on the home screen.

    Over the next few weeks, Android TV users will be getting a new way to access their favorite entertainment content directly on the home screen. The new quick-access row is positioned below the Favorite Apps row and includes shortcuts to play what’s next, watch free live TV, as well as popular titles and what’s trending on Google.

    The quick-access row will make a big difference, as Android TV users will no longer have to jump from app to app to find the content they want to watch. Just keep in mind that it will take weeks for this to pop up on your Android TV device.

  • Carousell co-founder Lucas Ngoo to step down this month

    Carousell co-founder Lucas Ngoo to step down this month

    Lucas Ngoo, the co-founder of Singapore-based online marketplace Carousell, says he will step down from managing the company’s operations.

    “After 11.5 remarkable years, I have made the personal decision to take a break and step back from day-to-day management of Carousell at the end of the month,” Ngoo wrote in a LinkedIn post.

    He added he still has a full interest in the firm and will act as a co-founder and board director, as well as an advisor when needed.

    He also shared his plans to learn more about new areas including innovation, AI in biotech/healthcare, climate tech/energy transition and web3 during the break.

    Siu Rui Quek, Marcus Tan, and Ngoo founded Carousell as an e-commerce platform for preloved goods in May 2012. Ngoo was also chief technology officer until Igor Volynskiy took over the role in September 2019.

    The company accelerated its Southeast Asian expansion in recent years with the acquisitions of sneaker marketplace Ox Street in 2021 and fashion reseller channel Refash and electronics recommerce platform Laku6 in 2022.

    However, in December 2022, Carousell announced the layoffs of 110 employees, about 10 per cent of its workforce amid the uncertain macroeconomic environment. It also moved into a cheaper office as part of cost-cutting measures.

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  • Pepper prices rising in Vietnam

    Pepper prices rising in Vietnam

    Pepper prices rose in the central highlands and southern Vietnam 3.6% to VND86,000 ($3.50) per kilogram on Monday as sinking supply fuels higher demand, according to the Vietnam Pepper Association.

    Climbing prices were recorded in the central highlands provinces of Dak Lak and Dak Nong, as well as the southern provinces of Ba Ria – Vung Tau and Binh Phuoc, near Ho Chi Minh City.

    The association has reported that Vietnam’s pepper production is set to fall 10-15% to 160,000-165,000 tons this year.

    Prices are therefore expected to rise even further to around VND100,000.

    Indonesian black pepper prices are now around $3,906 per ton, while Malaysia’s Kuching ASTA price is at $4,900.

    Global demand is set to fall this year due to geopolitical tensions, experts have predicted.

    The Vietnam Pepper Association targets a pepper and spice exports of around $2 billion next year, equivalent to about 400,000-500,000 tons.

    Last year the country exported 267,000 tons of spices worth $912 million, up 16.6% in volume, but down 6% in value.

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  • Vietnam’s agricultural exports to China expected to rise

    Vietnam’s agricultural exports to China expected to rise

    According to the Agency of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam expects to increase its agricultural exports to China as the neighboring country agreed earlier this year to review regulations permitting the official export of Vietnamese poultry meat.

    The agency cited statistics by the General Department of Vietnam Customs showing that Vietnam shipped abroad 22,450 tonnes of meat and meat products worth US$110.35 million last year, up 19% in volume and 30.4% in value from 2022.

    The products were delivered to 28 markets around the world, with Hong Kong, China, Belgium, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Cambodia, France, and the U.S. among the biggest importers.

    Vietnam exported 4,770 tonnes of poultry meat and edible by-products valued at $12.04 million, representing year-on-year increases of 136.1% in volume and an 214% in value.

    China, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, South Korea, and Hong Kong were the main buyers.

    At present, Vietnam ships two products of the livestock industry to China, including bird’s nests and milk, under official export according to the protocol on exporting bird’s nest signed in 2022 and another on exporting milk signed in 2019 between the two countries.

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  • Luxury airline plans to give select passengers a Vision Pro to use as in-flight entertainment

    Luxury airline plans to give select passengers a Vision Pro to use as in-flight entertainment

    At least one airline is planning on offering the Apple Vision Pro to some passengers as part of its in-flight entertainment offerings. Beond is a Maldivian airline that flies to five destinations and calls itself the world’s first “premium leisure airline” with business class service that includes gourmet meals, seats that fold down completely allowing passengers to sleep more comfortably during a flight, and soon, in-flight entertainment led by the Apple Vision Pro.

    In a press release dated Thursday, Beond said that it will start  offering the Vision Pro to select customers on its flights to the Maldives. Beond’s fleet has just doubled to two after the airline took possession of its second jet and in the middle of this year, it will start flights from Milan, Dubai, and Bangkok to the Maldives.

    Tero Taskila, Beond’s Chairman and CEO, said, “The Apple Vision Pro will transform the inflight entertainment experience, and we will be first to offer it to select passengers. In addition to our existing and ever-growing library of inflight content such as movies and games, Beond will showcase stunning resort destinations and activities in the Maldives. We are working now with partners in the Maldives to prepare truly amazing footage.”

    The executive continued, “The inflight experience will build anticipation for passengers before they arrive in the Maldives. Offering the Apple Vision Pro is another step in our vision of delivering a premium travel experience to our customers, from the start to finish of their journey. We’re proud to be the first airline to deploy the technology.” The press release didn’t mention how many Vision Pro units would be aboard each flight, nor did it mention how the airline would determine which passenger(s) would get the opportunity to don the headset.

    Now that Beond has become the first airline to announce plans to offer the Vision Pro to passengers, we could see the larger commercial airlines add the Vision Pro to their in-flight entertainment offerings. Considering the number of larger capacity planes that airlines could order the headset for, Apple could get a windfall.

  • Embraer gears up for Singapore Airshow

    Embraer gears up for Singapore Airshow

    Embraer is set to display its growing portfolio of aircraft at the Singapore Airshow on 20-25 February, as the company looks to strengthen its presence in Asia Pacific

    The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, which also has an office in Beijing, will showcase its aircraft solutions for defense and security, commercial aviation, and business aviation, including the Asian debut of subsidiary Eve Air Mobility.

    The biennial industry event in Singapore gathers the most influential players in international aerospace and defense, and Embraer excited to show the collective strength of its aircraft lineup.

    Making their debut at the show are Embraer’s C-390 Millenium for military transport aircraft and the Praetor 600 business jet. The C-390 was recently selected by South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), whilst the Praetor 600 was delivered to South Korea’s flight inspection centre at end-2023.

    On its debut, Eve Air Mobility will be presenting an overview of its eVTOL, services and operations solutions including its Urban Air Traffic Management software solution.

    The company will have its full-size eVTOL cabin mockup on display, marking its first trip to Asia Pacific as part of its world tour. Eve and will also offer visitors a unique virtual reality (VR) flight experience.

    Also joining the lineup at this year’s Airshow with a brand new ‘Tech Eagle’ livery is the E195-E2 commercial jet, which doubled in deliveries last year and got firm orders from Scoot.

    “Our presence in Asia Pacific is growing and the Airshow provides us a great platform to further interact with the aerospace and defense communities across the region,” said Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO at Embraer.

  • Apple Podcast bug means no new episodes for some titles although there is a simple workaround

    Apple Podcast bug means no new episodes for some titles although there is a simple workaround

    Remember Apple’s television ads for the iPhone 3G? The ad would tell you, regardless of any problem you need a solution for, “There’s an app for that.” When you think about it, for any subject matter that you have an interest in, there’s a podcast for that. And if you are an iPhone user, you probably use the Apple Podcasts app. But until recently, the app had a serious problem that was preventing users from listening to the latest episodes of certain Podcasts stored in the user’s library.

    The bug prevents the latest episodes for affected podcasts from showing up as these episodes will not automatically be downloaded. This means that these podcasts won’t appear in the Up Next queue. If the user knows that a new episode for a podcast he/she follows has dropped, the episode can be discovered by looking for the new episode in the app’s search tab. But many podcast app users rely on getting alerted by the app whenever a new episode is ready and thanks to the bug, this is not happening.

    It’s unknown exactly how many podcasts are affected by the bug but complaints on social media seem to indicate that the problem is widespread. And there is the aforementioned workaround. Open the Apple Podcasts app and after tapping the Search tab on the bottom right of the screen type in the name of the podcast you want to hear the latest episode of and tap the blue “search” bar next to the space bar on the virtual QWERTY keyboard. Press the Episodes filter above the search results (which is also below the search bar) and the latest episode will be on the top of the list. Just press the play button on the right of the listing to hear it.

    You might not have to do this much longer because some users say that they are now getting new episodes automatically sent to their Apple Podcasts app. If so, that’s good news. If not, try the workaround until your Podcast app is working perfectly again. By the way, if you don’t have the app on your iPhone, click on this link to download it from the App Store.

  • Google Docs, Slides and Sheets apps get new formatting sidebar on Android tablets

    Google Docs, Slides and Sheets apps get new formatting sidebar on Android tablets

    Google’s three apps that make writing and editing text such a breeze even on mobile devices, Docs, Slides and Sheets, have been updated earlier this week with a bunch of improvements to their comments system.

    Over the weekend, the search giant confirmed that another important update is making its way to Android users. All three apps, Docs, Slides and Sheets, are getting a new formatting sidebar that reduces the number of taps needed to navigate to formatting options.

    Basically, you’ll be able to arrange text, tables, images and more, much easier than before. The new formatting sidebar will be rolled out to Android tablets at the beginning of the next month, Google announced in a blog post.

    According to the Mountain View company, the update will be released to Scheduled Release domains on March 6, while users enrolled in the Rapid Release domains should already be able to take advantage of the new formatting sidebar on their Android tablets.

    It’s important to add that the new feature is available to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. So, just about everyone who uses Google’s Docs, Slides, and Sheets apps.

    In related news, Google announced that its Slides apps is getting another new feature that will allow users to easily drag and drop an image to replace the background in the app.

    This feature is currently rolling out to Rapid Release domains and should be launched to Scheduled Release domains on February 26. It will be available to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

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