Tag: Max

  • Select HBO Max full pilot episodes now available on Snapchat

    Select HBO Max full pilot episodes now available on Snapchat

    It looks like HBO Max is stretching its arms to create new partnerships and reap new benefits. Today, the streaming service has teamed up with Snapchat and made it possible to watch full-length pilot episodes of select shows on the social media platform.

    Some examples include Looney Tunes, Gossip Girl, and even the all-popular Game of Thrones. The option is available through the Snap Minis feature, which debuted last year. Snapchat Minis is a way for third-party developers to showcase their product inside the social platform.

    One of the more popular channels to make use of this feature was Headspace. HBO, however, is the first of its caliber to upload full episodes.

    The main aim of this deal is obviously to attract more people to subscribe to HBO’s program, but it is more than that. The most noteworthy part of HBO Max’s Snapchat minis is having the ability to invite up to 63 people to watch the content together. What’s even better is that all participants can chat and share Bitmoji reactions during the show.

    No HBO Max subscription is required to watch any of the shows, but don’t go thinking there are no catches laid out for you. At the end of each pilot episode, users who are 18 years or older will receive a pop-up prompting an HBO Max subscription.

    The new Snapchat feature is available both on Android and iOS, and the pilot episodes on display will be refreshed in intervals yet to be announced. It would be interesting to see if competitors like Netflix and Disney+ follow in HBO’s footsteps. If so, this could prove to be a great benefit for Snapchat, maybe developing the trend into something more in the future.

  • Firmware update kills bug draining Apple AirPods Max battery

    Firmware update kills bug draining Apple AirPods Max battery

    The Apple AirPods Max is an over-ear headphone that turns on automatically when it detects that they are over the user’s ears. Each ear cushion uses memory foam to create a seal that Apple calls an important factor in creating immersive sound. The AirPods Max also borrows the Digital Crown from the Apple Watch to allow for precise volume control, to activate Siri, play or pause music tracks, and answer or end phone calls.

    This past Tuesday Apple released firmware version 3C39 for the AirPods Max. Since Apple did not include any release notes with the update, many were forced to blow the dust off of their Magic 8 Ball to find out what good the update did for their AirPods Max. Some believe that the update exterminated a bug that causes the battery to drain rapidly whenever the device is placed in its Smart Case.

    When the AirPods Max is placed in their Smart Case, they are supposed to go immediately into “low power mode” followed18 hours later by moving into “ultra-low-power mode.” But since the wearable was released in December, some users have complained that the battery life on their AirPods Max drops from 100% to 1%-or even down to 0%-overnight even when the device was sitting in the Smart Case all night. A pair of graphs depicting battery usage on the AirPods Max prior to and then after the update to 3C39 reveals that before the update, the AirPods Max battery was draining every 30-minutes. The graph covering the battery drain following the update showed a very little drop in battery life for the over-ear headphone every half-an-hour.

    The reason for the improvement can be traced back to one big adjustment. Prior to the update, with the AirPods Max in their Smart Case, it would take 18 hours for the “ultra-low-power mode” to kick in. However, after installing the firmware update, it takes only 30-minutes for the “ultra-low power mode” to start working. That means that the battery stops draining too fast 17 and a half hours earlier than before. The update also exterminates a bug that causes the AirPods Max to crash when connected to a device running iOS 14.5.

    So how can you install the firmware update on your AirPods Max. What would you say if we told you that it is not possible to do it manually? The headphones update automatically when connected to a power source while located right near your iPhone.

    It is always good to know exactly which firmware version your AirPods Max are running. To find out, open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to your Bluetooth menu. In the list of your Bluetooth-connected devices, look for the listing for the AirPods Max and tap on the i next to that listing. You will then see the firmware version of the Apple AirPods Max that your headphones are running. The most current version is 3C39. If this is the firmware version that shows up after following the above steps, you have nothing to change as your AirPods Max is completely up to date.

    The Apple AirPods Max are available in Space Gray, Silver, Green, Sky Blue, and Pink. If purchased from Apple, you can have the device engraved for free with a combination of emoji, text, and numbers. The price of the device is $549 or six monthly payments of $91.50.

    If you feel as though the battery is draining too rapidly on your AirPods Max, make sure that you install the new update. Allowing the “ultra-low-power mode” to kick in earlier could be the difference between having enough battery life to use the over-ear headphone with your iPhone and enjoying its Active Noise Cancellation.

  • The Philippines’ Max’s Group posts 17-per-cent profit growth

    The Philippines’ Max’s Group posts 17-per-cent profit growth

    Max’s Group (MGI) which operates restaurants under its own brand name, Yellow Cab Pizza, Krispy Kreme, Jamba Juice and Teriyaki Boy, has boosted net income to $14.43 million last year.

    Fourth-quarter sales alone increased by 10.4 percent to $108.55 million from $98.22 million the previous year.

    System-wide revenue for the full year totaled $77.56 million, up 7 percent year on year, to $392.07 million.

    “Our performance demonstrates the success of our strategies to focus on our core business and spur long-term expansion through franchising,” said MGI president and CEO Robert F Trota. “Our continued investment in our commissaries also marshals the integration and modernization of our operations.”

    He said the company remains cognisant of the headwinds in the current business environment and assured investors that their teams are well-equipped to sustain levels of service and profitability.

    Meanwhile Ariel P Fermin, group COO said that following a year when the company invested in its brands to drive mainstream relevance, its focus now is to deliver on the increased demand.

    “Our integrated supply-chain programs are designed to furnish consistent quality, cost-optimized, and responsive services to our growing customer base and store network.”

    He added that the fundamentals the company put in place will serve it well in light of the challenges ahead this year.

    Max’s Group opened 82 new stores last year, including 22 overseas, taking its network to 760 locations, with 70 of them located overseas in North America, the Middle East and Asia.

  • Bamboo Airways inks deal for 26 Airbus aircraft

    Bamboo Airways inks deal for 26 Airbus aircraft

    Private airline Bamboo Airways will buy 26 new narrow-body Airbus aircraft as it expands operations. The value of the deal is $6.3 billion, based on list price, chairman Trinh Van Quyet told. With the previous order of 24 aircraft of the same model last year, the airline has ordered 50 in total.

    Quyet said that the first of the A321Neo planes will be delivered in 2022.

    Bamboo Airways had previously said that it was considering purchasing 25 narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX, which has been grounded internationally after two deadly crashes within a space of five months.

    Last month, Bamboo Airways had inked a deal with Boeing for 10 wide-body 787-9 Dreamliners worth almost $3 billion.

    Starting this year, the airline operates 17 domestic flight routes. It plans to start international flights next month, with Japan, Singapore and South Korea mentioned as possible destinations.

    It also plans to fly to Europe in June and directly to the U.S. by the end of this year or early next year.

    Bamboo Airways is one of five airlines operating in Vietnam. The others are state-owned Vietnam Airlines, budget airline Vietjet, low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific and Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO).

    Local airlines served almost 50 million passengers last year, up 10 percent from 2017.

  • Garuda Indonesia Cancels 49 Boeing 737 MAX Orders

    Garuda Indonesia Cancels 49 Boeing 737 MAX Orders

    Breaking news coming from Jakarta that Garuda Indonesia has canceled their order for 49 Boeing 737 MAX placed a few years ago. This comes after two disastrous 737 MAX crashes and a worldwide grounding of the aircraft for safety reasons. Garuda operates over 70 737NG aircraft. As such, the 737 MAX was a natural addition to the fleet and part of the 737NG replacement plan. At face value, Garuda’s order was worth $4.9 billion.

    Garuda made the following comments upon ordering the 737 MAX:

    The Cancellation

    Garuda Indonesia’s President Director, Gusti Ngurah Askhara Danadiputra, announced the cancellation on Thursday, March 21st. In his comments, he specifically stated that the 737 MAX 8 suffered from bad publicity that spooked travelers from choosing the 737 MAX 8. Specifically, Garuda Indonesia believes there is no longer passenger confidence in the aircraft, so they are cancelling their order.

    This isn’t a major issue for Garuda Indonesia since they only have one 737 MAX 8. Depending on how long the groundings of MAX aircraft last, Garuda could find a new buyer or lessor for that specific aircraft. They could also sell it back to Boeing as part of a deal. Garuda Indonesia is already an Airbus customer. They operate both the A330-200 and 300 widebodies. In addition, Garuda Indonesia has 14 A330-900s on order.

    Cancelling the 737 MAX leaves Garuda with few options for sourcing a narrowbody replacement for their 737-800s. Russia is working on an alternative, however, it seems like Garuda will need an established plane with passenger confidence. In addition, based of Garuda Indonesia’s original order, they will probably go for a fuel efficient plane that carry a similar number of passengers.

    This makes the A320neo the most likely option for Garuda Indonesia. On an order for 50 aircraft, Garuda will probably get some discounts from Airbus that would make the delayed entry, any cancellation fees with Boeing, and increased maintenance and training costs worth it if passengers will still fly with them.

    The A320neo, however, would not be entirely out of place in Garuda’s fleet. Garuda Indonesia operates a low-cost arm called Citilink. Citilink flies over 50 A320/A320neo family aircraft.

    Overall

    In the grand scheme of things, Garuda Indonesia is not a major 737 MAX customer.  Norwegian, SpiceJet, Ryanair, Jet Airways, Lion Air, Flydubai, and Southwest all have over 100 737 MAX aircraft on order. However, if Garuda Indonesia is expressing concern about the 737 MAX, it is likely that other airlines are also concerned about their 737 MAX fleet and orders.

  • Vietjet not operating any flights with Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts

    Vietjet not operating any flights with Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts

    Vietjet does not operate any flights with Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. We are currently operating with a fleet entirely composed of new Airbus aircraft from the A320 family aircraft. The average age of our fleet is 2.82 years. We are also using latest generation of Airbus aircraft, A320-A321 neo.

    Furthermore, Vietjet’s operations meet the highest international standards with regard to safety and maintenance. In particular, we have complied with all of the regulations and met the latest standards which have been set out by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), including the approval of aircraft type for our operation.

    The safety for passengers is always Vietjet’s highest priority. Now we are closely monitoring the Boeing 737 MAX case and our decisions related to these aircraft will be made after the official conclusions and guidelines of the world’s aviation authorities and the CAAV. We are doing this to ensure the development of our modern fleet and to meet the highest quality and safety standards. Vietjet has well managed our fleet so far and our transport business plans are unchanged.

  • Max Fashion opens flagship store in Malaysia

    Max Fashion opens flagship store in Malaysia

    Value fashion brand Max Malaysia has launched its fourth store, a flagship in 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

    A red-carpet opening ceremony was hosted by Max CEO and Landmark Group director Ramanathan Hariharan. The store covers more than 10,000sqft (930sqm) and will offer men’s, women’s and children’s fashion as well as sportswear, bags, footwear, lingerie and accessories.

    Malaysia’s first Max store opened in IOI Mall Putrajaya last year, followed by outlets in Sunway Putra Mall and Avenue K Mall.

    The brand plans to have 10 stores in Malaysia by the end of the year.

  • Max’s Group plans up to 30 new outlets this year

    Max’s Group plans up to 30 new outlets this year

    Max’s Group plans to open up to 30 more stores this year, buoyed by a solid jump in first half profit on the back of network expansion.

    The casual restaurant chain operator announced Tuesday its total sales rose 12 per cent to P8.29 billion for the first six months – profit rose by the same percentage, to P331.72 million. Max’s opened 41 new stores during the period, including six overseas, taking its total network to 650, 53 of those offshore. Yellow Cab Pizza is the star performer, especially offshore, where the company has two new development contracts to open at least 22 outlets in Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei within the next five years.

    Max’s Group’s other brands include Pancake House, Sizzlin’ Steak and Max’s Restaurants.

    Revenues from new franchises as well as royalty and continuing license fees grew 23 per cent to P333.65 million in the first half.

    “We are happy with the results despite an increasingly challenging environment,” said MGI president and CEO Robert Trota. “Moving into the next quarter, we have lined up exciting product initiatives to cushion cyclicality effects during wet season.”

  • Lion Air welcomes Indonesia’s first Boeing 737 MAX-8

    Lion Air welcomes Indonesia’s first Boeing 737 MAX-8

    Indonesia’s largest low-cost carrier Lion Air welcomed on Tuesday the arrival of the first of hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft it ordered from the United States planemaker, paving the way for the company to move forward with its expansion plan.

    The aircraft will be the first of its kind operated by an Indonesian airline.

    Lion Air is part of the Lion Air Group, together with Wings Air, Batik Air, Lion Bizjet, Malaysia-based Malindo Air and Thailand-based Thai Lion Air.

    The aircraft delivery is the second this year for Lion Air Group as Malindo Air earlier welcomed a similar type of aircraft in May.

    “This new aircraft will help us develop our routes to other destinations and to offer affordable air fares,” Lion Air Group public relations manager Andy M. Saladin said in an official statement.

    Lion Air Group has ordered 218 Boeing 737 MAX-8, eight of which will be delivered this year.

    The Boeing 737 MAX-8 can fly for seven and a half hours without refueling and is the first Boeing aircraft to have a double winglet feature.

    Lion Air currently operates 113 aircraft to serve 630 flights to 44 domestic and international destinations.

  • Max brings in the festive grandeur with Sanjeev Kapoor’s Limited Edition Virasat Collection

    Max brings in the festive grandeur with Sanjeev Kapoor’s Limited Edition Virasat Collection

    Max, India’s largest value fashion brand, today unveiled its Festive Collection with the celebrated Bollywood actress Bhumi Pednekar. They also launched an exclusive festive offer –Sanjeev Kapoor’s Virasat Collection limited edition collection,making this festive season shopping experience a delight for the esteemed customers. Designed by India’s eminent Chef- Sanjeev Kapoor, the Virasat Collection is an ode to the opulence and the grandeur of India’s rich heritage. Exquisite coffee mugs and cups and saucer sets from the Virasat Collection were launched as a part of ‘Max Celebrates India’ festive collection and will be available across all leading Max Fashion stores in India.

    “I am very excited to be associated with Max’s Fashion Festive collection launch that ensures that there are grand designs for the entire family available. Festive time is an emotional time for all of us and this collection by Max brings out just the best of this warm spirit. The modern shoppers demand latest fashion trends and Max brings a variety of festive wear to make everyone stand out this season. Said Bhumi Pednekar, talking about her association with Max.

    Speaking on the launch, Mr. Vasanth Kumar, Executive Director, Max Fashion Indiasaid “We are excited to unveil ‘Max Celebrates India’ festive collection that showcases the beauty of India’s diverse and rich cultural heritage. We are also very happy to bring to our Max customersthe exclusive limited edition festive offer from Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Signature Virasat collection”.

    Chef Sanjeev Kapoor said, “This festive season, I am happy to bring forth my exquisitely designed Virasat Collection with Max Fashion, as it offers a perfect platform to reach out to millions of festive shoppers. The brand Sanjeev Kapoor signifies ethnicity, which is being intrinsically weaved into its Virasat range of crockery through its intricate designs based on royal architecture synonymous to Jaipur’s heritage. Moreover, patrons can have the pleasure to discover and cook traditional Diwali delicacies with the Virasat recipe book, which contains a treasure of festive Indian recipes”.

    Indian festivals are grand celebrations of our rich culture and heritage and to commemorate the festivities, Max Fashion offersexclusive limited edition offer from the Virasat Collection.  Inspired by the Jharokhas (window) and leaf motifs in the Royal City Palace, Jaipur, the Virasat Collection features exquisite coffee mugs and cup and saucer sets designed by India’s renowned Chef, Sanjeev Kapoor.  Max Fashion is exclusively offering its valuable customers a pair of Coffee Mugs on every purchase of Rs. 3499. For all purchase of Rs 6,999 and above, the festive shoppers at Max will receive the limited edition beautiful Virasat Collection set of 4 cups &saucers.

    The festive season shopping indulgence gets a royal touch with Max’s Festive collection. Showcasing variety of ethnic Indian wear that draws inspiration from phulkari embroideries, decorative brocades to dramatic baroques and heirloom, Max’s festive collection special merchandises are designed for the entire family. Max’s Men’s wear introduces ‘TAVISH’, a one stop ethnic solution of beautifully chanderis, art silk and rich brocadeembroidered kurtas to bandi jackets. The bright colours of voluminous skirts, traditional anarkalis, jewelled toned crop tops, vibrant coloured tiered kurtas and maxi dresses are a perfect way to brighten wardrobes. The cheerful ethnic collection for kids encompasses beautiful chanderi lehenga cholis, maxi dresses and brocades in delightful shades of magenta, vibrant orange and emeralds.