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Tag: menu

  • Experience Effortless Chatting: Google Messages Launches Dynamic One-Hand Context Menu

    Experience Effortless Chatting: Google Messages Launches Dynamic One-Hand Context Menu

    In the latter part of last month, Google announced its intent to replace the Hamburger icon menu with a dynamic context menu. The aim was to streamline navigation for Google Messages users, particularly those with larger-screen phones. When the Google Messages app receives the dynamic context menu, users will no longer have to perform the finger gymnastics previously required to access the hamburger menu in the top-right corner.

    Rollout of the New Google Messages Menu

    The new menu format is now being deployed to the beta versions of the Google Messages app. Following the update, long pressing on a chat/message will activate the Reactions menu which appears at the top of the message. This allows users to quickly add a reaction. Below the message, however, is a vertical box presenting various options, some of which were previously only accessible by stretching to tap the hamburger icon in the far top-right corner of the screen.

    This new menu provides options such as:

    – Reply
    – Forward
    – Copy
    – Star
    – Delete
    – Select more
    – Info

    This simplification of Google Messages is certainly sufficient to make usage more convenient; there’s no need to strain your hand to reach certain features. To keep the vertical box as compact as possible, the app comprehends the context of the long-pressed message, and presents different options based on that context.

    Deleting Multiple Messages

    There have been some misconceptions about the new interface, with one user on Reddit believing that the redesign had removed the ability to delete multiple messages at once. In fact, this is not the case. To delete several messages, users simply need to long-press on the first message they wish to remove and then select ‘Select more’ from the vertical box. They can then scroll down to the next message they wish to delete and tap on it.

    A counter will be visible in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, indicating the number of messages selected for deletion. Once all desired messages have been selected, users just need to tap the trash can icon in the top right corner to remove them.

    Accessing the New Features

    I have personally been able to access this feature on my Pixel 6 Pro running the most recent Android 16 QPR3 Beta. However, it’s important to note that access to these features requires membership in the Google Messages Beta program. To confirm membership, users can open the Google Play Store app and search for the Google Messages listing. Those who are part of the beta program will see the word (Beta) in parentheses.

    Becoming a beta tester allows users to experience new features before the public and provide feedback to developers. However, availability is limited and those interested may not always see the “Join the beta” prompt. If it’s not visible, it’s recommended to check back later.

    Questions & Answers

    How can I access the new Google Messages menu?
    You can access the new menu by long pressing on a chat/message. This will activate the Reactions menu and the new dynamic context menu at the bottom of the message.

    Is the ability to delete multiple messages at once still available in the new menu?
    Yes, the ability to delete multiple messages hasn’t been removed. It’s simply accessed in a different manner. You need to long-press on the first message you want to delete, then select ‘Select more’ from the vertical options box. Then you can scroll to and select the other messages you wish to delete.

    How can I become a Google Messages beta tester?
    To join the Google Messages beta program, open the Google Play Store app and search for the Google Messages listing. If there is availability, you will see an option to “Join the beta”. It may take a few minutes to 24 hours to process the request. If you don’t see this option, there may not be any openings at the moment, so try again later.

  • Chick-fil-A Marks Singapore Debut with Exclusive Menu and Community Experience at Bugis+

    Chick-fil-A Marks Singapore Debut with Exclusive Menu and Community Experience at Bugis+

    Fast-food giant Chick-fil-A has made its debut in Singapore with the inauguration of its first locally managed outlet in Bugis+. The restaurant is prominently located at 201 Victoria Street and is managed by Singaporean, Chyn Koh. Koh brings a wealth of experience from the local food and beverage industry.

    Menu Offering

    The new outlet’s menu replicates the central choices from Chick-fil-A’s U.S. offerings. Signature dishes like the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich and Waffle Potato Fries are available, with an added local twist. The Singapore outlet has debuted a Spicy Chilli Sauce, exclusive to the Singaporean market, reflecting the local taste preference.

    A Community Space

    While internationally Chick-fil-A is renowned for its service culture, the Singapore branch seems more determined to position itself as a social hub. The restaurant features a Community Table, a common aspect of Chick-fil-A’s global outlets but with a local adaptation. The table was created in partnership with local artist Cheok Keng Lye.

    Hugh Park, the Head of Asia Pacific Operations at Chick-fil-A (Asia), shared, “Our Community Table serves as more than just a place to dine – it’s designed to bring people together. We hope it inspires guests to slow down, share a meal, and connect meaningfully with one another.”

    Interior Design

    The restaurant’s interior design also reflects a blend of local and brand-specific visuals. A full-length mural depicts local icons such as the Merlion, the Singapore Flyer, and smooth-coated otters, intermingled with Chick-fil-A motifs like waffle fries, dipping sauces, and milkshakes.

    International Expansion

    The Singapore launch aligns with Chick-fil-A’s international expansion strategy. Earlier this year, the company revealed plans for establishing permanent outlets in Singapore and the UK.

    Questions & Answers

    Who is managing the new Chick-fil-A outlet in Singapore?
    The outlet is managed by Chyn Koh, who has considerable experience in the local food and beverage scene.

    What are some unique features of the Singapore Chick-fil-A outlet?
    The restaurant offers a Singapore-exclusive Spicy Chilli Sauce. It also features a Community Table, designed in collaboration with local artist Cheok Keng Lye, and a full-length mural depicting local and brand-specific motifs.

    What is Chick-fil-A’s international strategy?
    Earlier this year, Chick-fil-A disclosed plans for international expansion, which includes establishing permanent restaurants in both Singapore and the UK.

  • Google launches restaurants menu-sharing app in Singapore

    Google launches restaurants menu-sharing app in Singapore

    Google in Singapore has launched a new menu discovery feature on its Google Pay app to make it easier for consumers to interact with local eateries and order food for delivery.

    Using the app, Singaporeans can browse menus, choose what they want, and contact the retailer director to order and pay. Depending on the vendor, customers can choose to pick up or have food delivered. A link in the app allows sharing with friends.

    More than 100 small food businesses such as coffee shops, hawker stalls, and restaurants have joined 150 large chains already on the platform, including Burger King, Canadian Pizza, Cedele, Da Paolo Group, The Daily Cut and Tuk Tuk Cha.

    “Quick food pick-ups and door-to-door deliveries are now a necessity, as Singaporeans stay home during this critical period,” explained Patrick Teo, director of engineering for payments and engineering site lead at Google in Singapore.

    “Like others in Singapore, we were sharing food menus among family and friends. So we thought, what if we could scale this and make this easier for consumers and restaurants? We rallied our employees to come together quickly and discussed ways in which we could offer a solution.”

    Early partners in the menu discovery feature include Kok Sen, O Banh Mi, Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha, Blue Ginger, O.Bba BBQ Jjajang, and Nude Seafood.

    “We hope to make the process of discovering local eateries simple and easy, and support even the smallest businesses – like hawkers – and minimize disruptions to their business,” said Teo.

    “We have rushed to get this out and will continue to improve the experience and hope that the easy access to a variety of food options will help Singaporeans enjoy their meals safely at home and support small businesses during these tough times.”

    Samuel Phan Chee Chiat, the owner of Vietnamese eatery O Banh Mi, located at Tiong Bahru Plaza, says having an online presence during the lockdown period is critical as he turns to online delivery and takeaways to keep the business going.

    “O Banh Mi hopes to leverage this platform to reach out to both new and existing patrons, offer a more seamless mobile experience and ultimately contribute to our bottom line. It is with help from government agencies, landlords, and major players like Google that we are able to continue serving our signature Vietnamese dishes during this trying time, and in turn, protect the jobs of our valuable staff.”

    “Our world’s been turned upside down” added Hong Junchen, a partner in Nude Seafood, which has two restaurants in the city. “But it’s also an opportunity to transform.

    “We made early plans before the circuit breaker to introduce our delivery service, and that has helped to widen our customer pool beyond the office crowd and into the neighborhoods. We’re no longer limited by our physical location and can serve good seafood islandwide. With this new feature on Google Pay, we hope to tap on the app’s existing user base to create relevant exposure and visibility for our business, as well as to continue establishing a personal relationship with our customers during this trying period.”

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  • AirAsia restaurant concept brings its inflight menu down to earth

    AirAsia restaurant concept brings its inflight menu down to earth

    A new AirAsia restaurant opened in a Kuala Lumpur shopping mall is serving inflight meals on the ground.

    The Malaysian-headquartered budget carrier has opened its first restaurant Santan and T&CO in Kuala Lumpur, marking its footprint in the retail food business. More outlets are already being planned along with an offshore foray.

    Located at the Mid Valley Megamall, the AirAsia restaurant offers dishes from its existing inflight menu, including Pak Nasser’s nasi lemak, Nyonya curry laksa and signature Malaysian rice dish with chili condiment.

    Santan and T&CO feature a smart menu to recommend popular dishes based on time, past ordering patterns as well as demographic taste. Customers also can order directly from the restaurant’s website and mobile app.

    “We have seen a significant appetite for our in-flight menu offerings beyond our flights across the region and this is our answer to that demand,” says Catherine Goh, general manager of Santan and T&CO restaurant.

    Believing in the potential success of the new concept, Group CEO of AirAsia Tony Fernandes is already planning to franchise the brand internationally.

    The company plans to open five outlets this year and 100 outlets over the next five years with expansions in global markets.

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  • Cebu Pacific launches new inflight menu

    Cebu Pacific launches new inflight menu

    Cebu Pacific is launching a new selection of inflight meals for purchase starting October this year.

    The new meals include a Singaporean dish (Hainanese Chicken Rice shown above), Filipino cuisine, and a vegetarian option.

    “As every Cebu Pacific flight is a journey to or from home, we have designed this refreshed inflight menu to bring a feeling of comfort in the form of simple meals and familiar tastes,” said JB Bueno, director for inflight catering and sales at Cebu Pacific.

    Below are some of the meals passengers traveling with the airline can buy starting next month:

    Roasted Chicken Sandwich (toasted panini bread with roasted chicken, sautéed spinach, and grated cheddar cheese with a garlic aioli spread).

    Lechon Paksiw (slices of roasted suckling pig stewed in a blend of vinegar, sugar, and spices, served with white rice).

    Other meals include the following:

    • Pinoy Spaghetti
    • Beef Salpicao
    • Chicken Yakisoba
    • Crab Salad Sandwich

    In addition to being available for purchase on flight, passengers can also pre-order the meals before the flight, according to Cebu Pacific. The carrier also added that the meals come with information on nutrition to cater to health-conscious travelers flying with Cebu Pacific.

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  • American burger chain Five Guys to open Restaurants in Singapore

    American burger chain Five Guys to open Restaurants in Singapore

    American burger chain Five Guys is to open in Singapore later this year.

    According to an unidentified F&B industry source, the chain also plans to open in Malaysia.

    The Singapore branch will be Five Guys’ second outlet in Asia, following the one which opened in Hong Kong last November.

    Founded in 1986, Five Guys runs more than 1500 outlets in America, Europe, and the Middle East. It also plans to expand into the UK.

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  • Habitat by Honestbee expands choices

    Habitat by Honestbee expands choices

    Habitat by Honestbee has added two new outlets to its 15 existing eateries.

    The first, Hama Hama, is a seafood bar with Asian-centric small plates and a seasonal sharing menu, with oysters at its core.

    The second new offer is B Bar, located near the liquor aisle and serving classic drinks along with cocktails featuring local and Asian flavours. Mocktails are also available.

    Honestbee, the online grocery-delivery service, opened its 60,000sqft Habitat last November.  The full-scale supermarket hosts more than 20,000 Asian and global foods and ingredients as well as daily essentials, which can be purchased both online and offline.

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  • McDonalds’ Q1 sales boosted by its all-day breakfast menu

    McDonalds’ Q1 sales boosted by its all-day breakfast menu

    In November, credit ratings agency Fitch warned that the breakfast-driven rebound the chain is experiencing won’t last forever. While that prediction still may prove correct someday, Fitch can’t claim victory just yet: McDonald’s reported better-than-expected first quarter same-store sales Tuesday, thanks in no small part to a continued boost from the most important meal of the day.

    McDonald’s reported Tuesday that its global same-store sales increased 4% during its first fiscal quarter of 2017. “There’s a sense of urgency across the business as we take actions to retain existing customers, regain lapsed customers and convert casual customers to committed customers,” McDonald’s president and CEO Steve Easterbrook said in a statement Tuesday morning.

    The growth in same-store sales didn’t completely translate to gangbuster top-line sales, with first quarter revenue ticking down 4% to $5.68 billion (a figure that nonetheless managed to come in ahead of the $5.5 billion Wall Street consensus). McDonald’s explained the dip by pointing to the refranchising effort that is a part of its broader turnaround plan, and the costs associated with that effort.

    Net income for the quarter, meanwhile, grew 8% to $1.2 billion, resulting in earnings of $1.47 per share — a figure that came in well ahead of the Street’s $1.33 per-share consensus.

    “Our efforts to build a better McDonald’s are yielding meaningful results with continued positive momentum and a strong start to 2017 that includes positive comparable sales across all segments, higher global guest counts and enhanced profitability,” Easterbrook continued. “We’re challenging ourselves to identify and pursue initiatives that can bring the biggest benefit to the most customers in the shortest possible time. I’m confident that we’re on the right path and well-positioned to unlock incremental growth and deliver against our growth plan for 2017 and beyond.”