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Tag: asia

  • 2019 Mercedes-AMG C43 Launch Details Out

    2019 Mercedes-AMG C43 Launch Details Out

    Mercedes-Benz kick started 2019 with the launch of the V-Class and back then it promised us that this year will be the year of a whole bunch of launches. Come March, we’ll see the company launch the AMG C43 Coupe and what a beautiful car it is. It was more than 2 years ago that the company launched the AMG C43 in India and it was in March 2018, that the company revealed the facelift of the car. Finally it’s all set to make its mark in the country and it’s a welcome addition to the AMG portfolio.

    In terms of design, the exterior of C43 4Matic is more expressive than some of its siblings in the C-Class range. New distinguishing features include the AMG radiator grille with twin louvre in matt iridium silver and the front apron. The side air curtains in the front apron, attachment on the cross fins plus the trim element on the front splitter are finished in silver chrome. At the rear, the two round twin tailpipe trim elements in high-gloss chrome gives a sporty look. The spoiler lip on the boot lid is painted in the vehicle color. The optional AMG styling package has a more expressive front splitter, with the standard-fit spoiler lip, broader side skirt inserts and flics in the rear bumper are finished in high-gloss black.

    On the inside, the upholstery is in Artico man-made leather or Dinamica microfibre in black with red top stitching. Matching the seat design, the door centre panels and dashboard are finished in Artico man-made leather with red top stitching. Aluminium sports pedals with black studs, trim elements in black piano lacquer with light longitudinal-grain aluminium, the black roof liner and the red seat belts create further sporty highlights. The fully digital instrument cluster with 12.3-inch screen diagonal comes with three AMG-specific display styles of ‘Classic’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Supersport’.

    The Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 engine that now delivers 385 bhp, about 23 bhp more than before. The AMG-tuned motor offers a peak torque of 520 Nm. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 kmph. The motor is mated to an AMG Speedshift TCT 9G transmission and is assisted by a rear-biased AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive.

    The Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe will be priced at around ₹ 75 to ₹ 80 lakh and it’ll go up against the likes of the Audi S5 Coupe as it does not have a direct rival in the country yet.

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  • MG Motor India To Launch Its First Electric SUV In Phased Manner

    MG Motor India To Launch Its First Electric SUV In Phased Manner

    We already have told you that MG Motor will launch an all-electric SUV in India and according to the latest news reports the company is planning to launch the upcoming electric SUV in select cities to begin with. “We will be launching the pure electric SUV in the fourth quarter (October-December) this year. It will be launched in some select cities across the country,” said Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motor India to the reporters.

    The company will be launching two models in India- starting with the Hector SUV and then a fully electric SUV, over the next nine months and has plans to launch one model in India every year. The company further shared that its electric vehicles in the country would have over-the-air (OTA) technology and would go over 250 km in a single charge. However, he refrained to comment on the selected locations.

    OTA technology is still an alien concept in India and MG Motor will be the first to have it in their models. OTA technology allows the auto maker to update its operating system in the vehicle helping refresh the content including entertainment features. OTA is a standard for the transmission and reception of application-related information in a wireless communication system.

  • Hyundai Cars Will Now Be Available On Subscription Basis

    Hyundai Cars Will Now Be Available On Subscription Basis

    Hyundai Motor India and self-drive car rental service provider- Revv have tied up to provide Hyundai cars on a subscription basis. On subscription, the customers could opt for a flexible ownership plan which includes both, short term and long term. The customers will also be able to swap cars across Hyundai range and can easily avail it without any down payment. The company will also not charge any amount for insurance or maintenance from the customer who has subscribed for the short term. Hyundai is also assuring new cars to customers who opt for one-year subscription or more.

    Commenting on the announcement SJ Ha, Senior Director, Sales & Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, “We are extremely excited about the Indian mobility landscape currently and foresee great prospects. This strategic alliance will provide a unique opportunity for today’s millennial customers to experience Hyundai’s diverse product offerings that blend with their personality. With our deep understanding of Indian consumers and progressive tech-driven mobility solutions, we aim to forge a new market for the New Age Indians.”

    The subscription-based car leasing service has been started as a pilot project. Hyundai and Revv have launched the service only in six cities initially- Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad and haven’t mentioned anything about the expansion plan yet. The project will start in Q1 2019.

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  • One in Three Entrepreneurs in APAC Rely on M&A

    One in Three Entrepreneurs in APAC Rely on M&A

    In Asia Pacific, one in three entrepreneur leverages on merger or acquisition as means to grow or expand their businesses, according to a recent report by BNP Paribas. A high proportion of entrepreneurs (33%) in the region rely on merger or acquisition to grow their businesses compared to their counterparts in Europe, GCC and USA, according to the 2019 BNP Paribas Global Entrepreneur Report.

    38 percent of Hong Kong business owners have undergone either a merger or acquisition in the past.

    Disruption and Development

    Over 50 percent of Indonesian entrepreneurs focus on contributing to growth of the local economy as their business goals in five years, while the entrepreneurial ambition in Taiwan is gravitated towards contributing to innovation and development in their chosen sectors. For Taiwan entrepreneurs, 38 percent are disruptors – their business goal is to permanently change the status quo with a new product or concept within five years.

    In India, it is for the next generation of their families to have meaningful careers.

    Use Of Credit Solutions

    Globally, 44 percent of elite entrepreneurs have used credit solutions to develop their business.  In Asia, 55 percent of entrepreneurs have sought to borrow to invest in their own businesses. This rises to six in every ten entrepreneurs in China, India and Indonesia.

    61 percent of Chinese entrepreneurs use credit or lending products to finance their business.  54 percent of Indonesian entrepreneurs have used structured products for credit or lending.

    Respondents

    The report is based on the responses of 2,763 Asian elite entrepreneurs handling a total net worth of USD16 billion, spanning 23 countries across Europe, Asia, the United States and the Middle East. It also unveils the different stages of maturity of their entrepreneurial journey, the impact on their private wealth and their need for family governance.

    Sampling of the Asia respondents include 830 elite entrepreneurs covering China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan. The average primary company revenue was $7.2 million.

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  • Hyundai Develops Smartphone Based Digital Key

    Hyundai Develops Smartphone Based Digital Key

    Hyundai Motor Group announced the development of a Digital Key, which allows users to unlock and start a vehicle via their smartphone. Replacing a traditional physical key, the new Digital Key can be downloaded via an app and can be used by up to four authorised people. The Digital Key can be downloaded via a cell phone application and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology detects the presence of an authorized Digital Key-enabled cellphone in close proximity to the vehicle door. NFC is a form of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which boasts a high level of security. The NFC wireless data communication takes place only when the device and the reader are placed several centimetres apart.

    The NFC antenna for entry identification is located in the handles of the driver and front passenger’s doors, whilst one for starting the engine is located within the wireless charging pad. After unlocking the vehicle, the user can start the engine by placing the smartphone on the wireless charging pad in the centre console and pressing an engine Start/Stop button on the dashboard.

    The user’s preferred vehicle settings are stored in the vehicle. When the key is recognized those settings are adjusted automatically – including the position of mirrors, seats and the steering wheel, as well as controls for the audio, video and navigation (AVN) systems and head-up display.Hyundai’s Digital Key can be used to control selected vehicle systems remotely via their smartphone. Using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, users can lock and unlock the vehicle, activate the alarm and start the engine. In addition, once the vehicles with autonomous parking features are commercialized, such features are also expected to be remotely controlled.

    The level of access to different vehicle functions can be tailored to each user, for a defined period. The vehicle owner can pre-set the duration of vehicle use or limit the use to only certain features when renting the vehicle. For instance, it can even be used to enable a courier to open the trunk to deliver a parcel.

    For cases such as using a valet service or visiting a repair shop, where handing over a digital key is not feasible, conventional smart key and card type key are also provided. Hyundai Motor Group aims to gradually implement the technology in its new production vehicles, starting later this year.

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  • UNIQLO to Launch UTs Celebrating Megahit Capcom Game Series Monster Hunter and Street Fighter

    UNIQLO to Launch UTs Celebrating Megahit Capcom Game Series Monster Hunter and Street Fighter

    UNIQLO, Japanese global apparel retailer, announces that it will launch a special UT (UNIQLO graphic T-shirts) collaboration collection that celebrates the megahit game series Monster Hunter™ and Street Fighter® from Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games. The Game by Street Fighter UT collection will begin rolling out at UNIQLO stores and through UNIQLO.com starting Monday, April 15. The Game by Monster Hunter UT collection will be available in Mid-June.

    Making its arcade debut in 1987, the Street Fighter game series is considered the progenitor of the fighting game boom that began in the 1990s. A new collection of unique UT designs celebrating the Street Fighter franchise highlights world warriors such as Ryu and Ken in various designs. Street Fighter®UTs include designs with controller button commands, as well as a pixel art rendition of a rare double K.O. from the game. Artwork from the latest Street Fighter title popular in the international esports scene, Street Fighter® V: Arcade Edition, features dramatic illustrations of the games’ iconic characters.

  • UNIQLO to Open its Second Largest Store in Singapore at Jewel Changi Airport

    UNIQLO to Open its Second Largest Store in Singapore at Jewel Changi Airport

    After opening its Global Flagship Store at Orchard Central in 2016, UNIQLO will welcome its second largest store in Singapore on 11 April 2019, as it sets foot in the iconic Jewel Changi Airport. Aspiring to showcase its LifeWear ethos to the world, UNIQLO aims to leverage Jewel – a choice lifestyle destination that will draw in both locals and visitors globally – to share its brand experience that champions Simple Made Better through constant innovation.

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  • Samsung patent reveals its next foldable smartphone

    Samsung patent reveals its next foldable smartphone

    Two major smartphone vendors, Samsung and Huawei, revealed their first foldable phones – Samsung Galaxy Foldand Huawei Mate X. Although both are based on the same foldable concept, they’re using different technology, which led to some rivalries between the companies and their fans, of course.

    Specs aside, the major difference between these two smartphones is the way their displays fold. First off, we have the Samsung Galaxy Fold, which features a big display that folds to the inside of the device. Secondly, there’s the Huawei Mate X which folds outward, with the part of the display that becomes the back side of the folded phone turning off.

    Many say that Huawei’s solution is much better in terms of design, even though the Chinese company’s foldable smartphone is prone to scratches due to the design. Samsung and Huawei have been arguing about who’s got the best overall foldable smartphone design, but that might not last too long.

    Samsung is reportedly readying two other foldable smartphones, one of which will feature the same foldable design as the Mate X. One of Samsung’s patents spotted by LetsGoDigital reveals what the upcoming Samsung foldable smartphone might look like.

    It’s definitely a step up from the current model, the Galaxy Fold since it comes with a flexible segment in the middle that makes it possible to close it seamlessly when completely unfolded. The images also reveal some sort of slide that works like a lock to make sure that the phone remains flat when opened.

    This removes the need of having to implement a more sturdy hinge to keep the phone completely flat when you open it. If Samsung does plan to launch such a device, it will be the company’s first foldable smartphone to feature an outward-facing display, in the same vein as Huawei’s Mate X.

    picture by: letsgodigital.org

  • Disney’s video streaming service will be a dream come true

    Disney’s video streaming service will be a dream come true

    Back in November, we told you that Disney’s video streaming service, which will compete with Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Apple, is going to be called Disney+. According to Polygon, during the entertainment giant’s stockholders meeting last week, company CEO Bob Iger passed along some information related to the streaming service. Perhaps the most exciting bit of news that the executive revealed is something that will make Disney fans open their wallets as soon as the service is launched. Disney+ will offer “the entire Disney motion picture library.”
    If you’ve ever watched the Disney Channel, you know that Disney only offers a title on DVD for a limited time, and then locks it back into the Disney Vault for a number of years before it is released again. But once Disney+ is launched, the Vault gets blown up. Besides all of those classics and more recent hits (including Frozen), Iger says that there will be some original programming including a live action Star Wars series called The Mandalorian.
    In case you were wondering, Iger says that new theatrical releases will take about a year to go from silver screen to your phone screen. Disney+ will “combine both the old and the new,” the CEO said. “All of the films that we’re releasing this year, starting with Captain Marvel, will also be on the service.”
    “The service, which I mentioned earlier is going to launch later in the year, is going to combine what we call library product, movies, and television, with a lot of original product as well, movies and television. And at some point fairly soon after launch it will house the entire Disney motion picture library, so the movies that you speak of that traditionally have been kept in a ‘vault’ and brought out basically every few years will be on the service. And then, of course, we’re producing a number of original movies and original television shows as well that will be Disney-branded.”-Bog Iger, CEO, Disney
    While Iger didn’t reveal a launch date for Disney+, he did say that the service will debut later this year.
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  • Facebook’s massive outage helped a rival app gaining millions of new users

    Facebook’s massive outage helped a rival app gaining millions of new users

    If you’re bothered by Facebook’s notoriously shady data harvesting methods and various other controversies surrounding the privacy and security of the social networking titan’s user base, it’s probably not a good idea to switch to Instagram. But there are actually many competing services and platforms on the market that Mark Zuckerberg does not own.

    One instant messaging app that has been growing at a pretty impressive pace for the past few years noticed a particularly large boost to its user numbers yesterday. According to its founder, Pavel Durov, a whopping 3 million people signed up for new Telegram accounts “within the last 24 hours.” It’s safe to assume that doesn’t happen every day for an IM and VoIP service that boasted a grand total of 200 million monthly active users around a year ago.

    While Durov doesn’t spell it out for us on his personal Telegram channel, the surge in sign-ups is naturally believed to be connected with Facebook’s most recent worldwide outage. A massive number of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp users reported problems logging in to their accounts yesterday, and incredibly enough, the main social networking platform is still down for some people.

    Even though that seemed to boost the action (and jokes) on Twitter, where Facebook itself confirmed the issues, Pavel Durov suggests his app may have had more to gain thanks to its “true privacy and unlimited space for everyone.” Then again, Telegram had its fair share of scandals and controversies back in the day as well, disappearing from the iOS App Store at one point due to suspicions of rampant child pornography content spreading.

    The app is also banned in countries like Russia and China, although the reason for that might actually convince more people in the Western Hemisphere to switch from Facebook or WhatsApp to Telegram. Namely, a strict policy on sharing user information with government authorities.

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  • Wehkamp Plots Double-Digit Growth Trajectory with Manhattan Associates

    Wehkamp Plots Double-Digit Growth Trajectory with Manhattan Associates

    Manhattan Associates today announced that leading Dutch online retailer Wehkamp has selected Manhattan’s Warehouse Management System (WMS) to manage its new distribution centre (DC) in Zwolle, Netherlands. The project, part of a €40 million investment Wehkamp is making in expanding and modernising this DC, will eventually extend to Wehkamp’s other DCs in the country. Wehkamp chose Manhattan’s WMS because of its industry-leading functionality, because it can orchestrate and maximise the performance of both human and automated resources, and because it will allow the retailer to scale order line volumes at a 20 percent growth clip.

    With 2.7 million regular customers and more than 11 million orders processed annually, Wehkamp is the Netherlands’ online market leader in fashion, lifestyle, beauty and baby/childrenswear. Its Zwolle DC, already one of the world’s largest automated DCs for online retail at 360,000 sq. ft. is being extended to 650,000 sq. ft. Once this expansion is completed, Wehkamp will have almost 1.5 million sq. ft. of warehousing capacity in the Netherlands and is able to process more than 250,000 orderlines per day.

    Once it began this DC expansion and modernisation project, Wehkamp executives concluded that their incumbent WMS would not be able to keep up with the company’s rapid growth or the additional associated complexity. The company set out to find a single, future-proof solution that could be deployed across its DCs, could efficiently orchestrate workflow across both automated and manual resources, and could maximise product flow-through velocity.

    Manhattan’s state-of-the-art WMS will provide Wehkamp with more flexibility in terms of how it processes orders and returns, maximise asset utilisation and support mobile workflows within its DCs. The solution’s order streaming capabilities will allow the retailer to simultaneously process wave, waveless and flow-through orders, whilst its embedded Warehouse Execution System (WES) capabilities will orchestrate workflow between its human workforce and its various automated technologies, which include 550 shuttle robots.

    “Wehkamp has grown rapidly because we have made ‘offering the ultimate customer experience’ our number one priority,” said Maarten Tibosch, Chief Operations Officer at Wehkamp. “Manhattan’s WMS will help us develop a supply chain that is effective, efficient, flexible and scalable to support our customers’ evolving needs. This solution will maximise asset utilisation, accelerate inventory flows and get goods to consumers faster.”

    Pieter Van den Broecke, Managing Director, Benelux and Germany, Manhattan Associates commented, “Manhattan currently works with the top brands and retailers across the globe to help them navigate the complexities of omnichannel fulfilment. With Manhattan’s WMS, Wehkamp can be confident it will be able to deliver on its growth and efficiency improvement goals so that it can make the lives of all families in the Netherlands ‘easier and more beautiful’.”

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  • PVH opens third Tommy Hilfiger store

    PVH opens third Tommy Hilfiger store

    US-based PVH Corporation opened its 13th full-price Tommy Hilfiger store in Australia on Friday, just days after the fashion brand held its Tommy Now runway event in Paris, featuring a collection designed in partnership with American actress and brand ambassador, Zendaya.

    The new store, located in Sydney’s Mosman suburb, showcases the TommyXZendaya collection and the brand’s Spring 2019 collection, in keeping with Tommy Hilfiger’s early adoption of the ‘see now, buy  now’ runway trend. Customers can also shop the brand’s denim collection and newly launched men’s and women’s sportswear collections.

    The store, which opened on International Women’s Day, also offers the brand’s IWD capsule collection, which features t-shirts and sweaters with inspirational slogans, such as: “Be the change” and “Powerful”. The brand is donating $1 from every style sold to the International Women’s Development Agency, a non-profit that works to advance women’s rights and gender equality in Asia Pacific.

    Spanning 130sqm, the store design reflects Tommy Hilfiger’s new global retail concept, which fuses the brand’s American heritage with clean, modern finishes and a bright, airy aesthetic. A high-resolution digital screen showcases the brand’s latest global campaigns for an immersive brand experience.

    The Mosman store is the third Tommy Hilfiger store to open in the past eight months in Australia, reflecting the parent company’s efforts to minimise its exposure to Myer and other struggling department stores by increasing its retail presence. The brand opened a store in Burwood, NSW, in June 2018 and in Perth, WA, in October. The brand also launched an online presence in Australia in September.

    In a presentation to investors in May 2018, PVH Brands Australia, a 50-50 joint venture between PVH and local apparel retailer Gazal Corporation, which held the licences for  Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Van Heusen in the local market, said it would open 34 stores across the brands in the coming years.

    Since then, PVH has announced an agreement to acquire Gazal. The closing, which is subject to shareholder, court and regulatory approvals, is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2019.

    Tommy Hilfiger operates 1800 stores in over 100 countries around the world.

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  • American Eagle expands Aerie lingerie brand

    American Eagle expands Aerie lingerie brand

    Global apparel retailer American Eagle is boosting its Aerie lingerie brand, with plans to open 60 to 75 stores this year.

    The strategy, which coincides with rival brand Victoria’s Secret’s declining sales and series of store closures, involves both standalone locations and side-by-sides with American Eagle, predominantly in Texas and California. The company currently operates 1055 stores.

    “Aerie is a game changer by staying at the forefront of body positivity and women’s empowerment,” said Aerie’s global brand president Jennifer Foyle. “Our new cast of role models are even more inspirational. They embrace the Aerie lifestyle and were chosen for their influential voices, unique stories and commitment to increase the power and empowering our community.”

    The firm reported US$431 million in earnings for the last financial quarter, a 1 per cent rise over the previous year’s figures. Its total net sales also rose 1 per cent to $1.24 billion.

    “Strong execution by the teams drove a record fourth quarter and fiscal 2018, as we reached a milestone of $4 billion in annual revenue with increased operating profit,” said American Eagle’s CEO and chairman Jay Schottenstein.

    “Eagle and Aerie continued to deliver consistent performance by combining product innovation and great merchandise with an improved customer experience across channels. As we head into 2019, we will continue to leverage the strength of our brands, selling channels and the team’s commitment to continually raising the bar for our customers. The strength of our balance sheet and free cash flow enables us to make important investments in our business to fuel market share gains, future growth and returns to our shareholders.”

  • Nike global warehouses goes carbon neutral

    Nike global warehouses goes carbon neutral

    A Nike warehouse in Melbourne’s Altona North suburb has become the first facility in Australia to receive a ‘whole-of-building’ carbon-neutral certification from the National Carbon Offset Standard.

    The certification is the latest recognition for the site, which has also received a Green Star Performance rating and was named the ‘Best Industrial Project’ at the National Energy Efficiency Awards in 2017.

    The 18,000sqm warehouse, which is owned by the Stockland property group and was custom-built for Nike by Toll, was designed with environmental efficiency in mind.

    Some of the site’s unique features include translucent roof sheeting to maximise daylight so warehouse lighting can be switched off when ambient light is sufficient, roof insulation to assist with temperature control and an optimised conveyor system, which was rewired and reprogrammed to operate in relation to product volumes, eliminating unnecessary movement.

    The retrofitting of 1300 light fixtures with high-efficiency LEDs also helped the site to halve its total electricity consumption, exceeding the greenhouse reductions required by NCOS.

    Toll and Nike offset the remaining greenhouse emissions generated by the building by investing in forest conservation projects in Tasmania as well as in an energy recovery waste water treatment plant in Thailand. These projects protect local biodiversity and native species support jobs in local communities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a statement from the comp

    Nike’s operations director Marie Varrasso said the success of the facility reflects its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint whilst delivering efficient solutions and savings which can be passed on to its customers directly.

    “Through this collaboration, continuous improvements have been introduced into the supply chain, which ultimately benefits Nike’s footwear, apparel and equipment customers. It’s a unique relationship, with innovation at the heart of everything we do,” she said.

    Stockland’s general manager of logistics and business parks Tony D’Addona said the project has has been a worthwhile education process for the property group’s warehousing and logistics business and helped to improve its management approach to sustainability.

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  • Porsche Taycan Electric Car To Make Its Debut In September 2019

    Porsche Taycan Electric Car To Make Its Debut In September 2019

    The first purely electrically powered sports car from Porsche, the Taycan, will not be presented to the public until September and its final design is not yet known; nonetheless, according to Porsche there are more than 20,000 people around the world with serious interest in buying one of their own. The company confirmed this development at the 2019 Geneva Motor show. 20,000 people have already registered to join a list of prospective buyers – and registration are already underway in Europe. The Porsche Taycan will debut in September 2019 with a market launch scheduled for the end of this year.

    The Porsche Taycan will have a range of more than 500 kilometres. The new Porsche Taycan will sport two permanently excited synchronous electric motors that are capable of churning out max power of 600 bhp and will juice out travel range of more than 500kms with its high voltage lithium-ion batteries. The two permanently excited synchronous motors, like those deployed in the Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid, generate a permanent rotary motion that can be applied at any time without needing to be started.

    The vehicle will be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in considerably less than 3.5 seconds. It will have a range of more than 500 kilometers as measured in accordance with the NEDC. Moreover, it will be possible to add sufficient charge for a range of 100 kilometers in just four minutes (measured in accordance with the NEDC).

    Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG says “The overwhelming interest in the Taycan shows us that our customers and fans are just as excited about the first Porsche electric athlete as we are – and we’ve therefore increased our production capacities. The Taycan will be the most sporty and most technically advanced vehicle in its segment – a true Porsche.”

    Porsche will foray into the electric car segment with the Taycan, and according to the company, by 2025 every second Porsche car sold will be with an electric motor. The Taycan will be the flagship electric product from Porsche and yes, the car will make it to India too by 2020.

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