Retail News CRM

Tag: users

  • Binance Halts Crypto Trading for Singapore Users

    Binance Halts Crypto Trading for Singapore Users

    Binance announced a new round of curbs for its Singapore business, restricting crypto trading for users in the city-state.

    Users in Singapore will no longer be able to deposit fiat money, trade or purchase crypto via Binance.com from October 26, according to a statement.

    Advisers were also told to cease all related trades, withdraw fiat assets and redeem tokens by the deadline.

    We will be restricting Singapore users in respect of the regulated payments services in line with our commitment to compliance, said Binance. Our aim is to create a sustainable ecosystem around blockchain technology and digital assets, and we hope that such efforts will help the industry grow in the local market in the long-run.

    While the Monetary Authority of Singapore has issued warnings about potential breaches of the Payment Services Act at Binance.com, which is operated by Binance, it is currently reviewing a license application from Binance.sg, which is operated by Binance Asia Services (BAS).

    Binance.sg is viewed by some users as the lighter version of Binance.com with a smaller offering and significantly less liquidity.

    Lees ook:

  • Users can disable Night mode feature with iOS 15

    Users can disable Night mode feature with iOS 15

    Apple is just weeks away from releasing iOS 15 and one of the new features will allow a user to turn Night mode off. If you’re not familiar with Night mode, it allows iPhone users to snap viewable photos even under low-light conditions. This feature is available with the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 lines and automatically turns Night mode on in low-light environments.

    You can tell that Night mode is on when the icon at the top of the screen is yellow. When a photo is snapped with Night mode enabled, a number next to the icon will tell you how long the exposure will take. Tapping the icon allows you to control the time of a Night mode exposure using a slider. Depending on how dark it is outside when taking the photo, the Night mode photo might be quick or it might take several seconds.

    With the iPhone 12 series, Night mode selfies are supported as are Night mode portraits. Because it allows you to take photos under low-light conditions, no one would want to turn off Night mode under normal circumstances. Still, some people just might want to have the ability to turn off Night mode and this is happening in iOS 15. With iOS 15 installed, go to Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings and you’ll find a new toggle for Night mode.

    When that Night mode toggle is turned on, the iPhone will know to keep Night mode turned off if you’ve disabled it for a shot. If you need Night mode, you can still manually enable it in the camera app allowing you to decide whether to use it. Personally, having Night mode turn on automatically is a time saver. Allowing you to opt-out of Night mode is also a time-saver, but only if you’re not in a low-light environment.

    Remember, this new feature is coming in iOS 15 which will be heading your way very soon.

  • Baidu’s Apollo Aims To Offer Robotaxi Service to 3 Million Users In 2023

    Baidu’s Apollo Aims To Offer Robotaxi Service to 3 Million Users In 2023

    Chinese tech giant Baidu said on Thursday its smart driving unit Apollo plans to cater to a total of 3 million users in China with a fleet of 3,000 robotaxis in 2023.

    Baidu also announced that it is partnering with BAIC Group’s electric vehicle (EV) brand ARCFOX to develop Apollo Moon, EV robotaxis that are set to be mass-produced at a cost of 480,000 yuan ($74,766.36) per unit.

    The duo will produce 1,000 Apollo Moon EVs in the next three years, Baidu told a press conference in Beijing.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Twitter’s newest creator-friendly feature is now official and rolling out to select accounts

    Twitter’s newest creator-friendly feature is now official and rolling out to select accounts

    Twitter is having a pretty big week in terms of adding highly requested features, and even though the social media platform’s hundreds of millions of active users around the world remain unable to edit their tweets after publishing them, we’re sure many of you will find the two latest changes almost as convenient as that.

    Just one day after ditching its annoying image cropping habit to finally display “bigger and better” (and especially taller) pics on both iPhones and Android handsets, Twitter is officially launching a functionality that first made the rounds a couple of weeks ago.

    The aptly named “Tip Jar” option is bound to put a big smile on the faces of all sorts of “creators, journalists, experts, and nonprofits”, and hopefully, make it easier for these people and organizations to find the time to keep us all entertained and informed on Twitter.

    For the time being, only a “limited group” of such accounts from “around the world” can be (easily) set up to allow followers to directly send them money using one of a variety of payment services. Said services, by the way, include PayPal, Venmo, Patreon, Bandcamp, and Cash App, although availability naturally differs from region to region.

    If you want to send a “tip” to an “applicable” account on iOS or Android, the good news is you can start doing that with no restrictions… as long as you use the English-language version of Twitter. Eventually, the plan is obviously to expand the feature to “more languages” and “soon” allow more people to receive tips.

    Before sending any of your hard-earned money to your favorite amateur entertainer, freelance journalist, political pundit, or mobile tech leaker, you might be happy to hear Twitter will not intervene in the tipping process in any way, directing you to your financial app of choice when making a donation and taking no “cut” from the sender or the receiver of tips.

    The Tip Jar icon can be easily located next to the Follow button on an “applicable account’s” profile page, and to make everything even more effortless and hassle-free, Twitter is letting Android users send money within Spaces conversations as well.

  • DuckDuckGo reveals how you can block Google’s new method of tracking Chrome users

    DuckDuckGo reveals how you can block Google’s new method of tracking Chrome users

    Privacy-first search engine DuckDuckGo on Friday posted a blog that discussed Google’s new data-tracking system called Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC). Using an algorithm and browsing histories, Google groups together those with similar interests and demographics. FLoC replaces the use of cookies to track users and feed them ads and other targeted content.

    When Google added FLoC to Chrome, it did so without giving users a choice as the tracking system is enabled by default. As DuckDuckGo noted in its blog post, “The criteria for being opted into FLoC are somewhat hidden and conflicting.” As scary as that sounds for those who value their privacy, there are things that you can do to block FLoC from trying to fit you into a category.

    Google claims that FLoC is good for privacy. And while FLoC, in theory, replaces third-party cookies, the latter won’t be removed until 2023 at the earliest. Thus, Google is getting to track users via two different methods for the time being.

    With FLoC, the websites you visit will be able to target ads since they will know things about you from the moment you enter the site. While Google says that you are placed in a group of others with the same interests in demographics, you are more protected as an individual. However, the data that is available to websites, combined with your IP address (which these sites receive automatically), means that you remain tracked as an individual.

    It seems fairly straightforward, but if you don’t want to be tracked by Google Chrome, use a different browser on your iOS and Android devices and on the desktop. If you own an iPhone and don’t like Safari, this writer has started using the recently updated version of Opera Browser which is available for iOS and Android). Besides Opera, on Android the Samsung Internet Browser would be a great choice to replace Chrome.

    If you must continue to use Chrome, DuckDuckGo says that you might be able to avoid FLoC by changing the settings on the Chrome browser. Some suggestions include logging out of your Google account, avoid syncing your history data with Chrome, disabling “Web & App Activity” or “Include Chrome history and activity from sites, apps, and devices that use Google services” in Google Activity Controls. In Google Ad Services you should shut down “Ad Personalization” or “Also use your activity & information from Google services to personalize ads on websites and apps that partner with Google to show ads.”

    Since Google has been profiling users for years, even if FLoC reduces you to a series of numbers based on your interests and demographics, it will only be a matter of time until the code is broken and your identity becomes known. Google says that FLoC is 95% as effective as third-party cookies and DuckDuckGo says that this means that Google will continue “to target people based on age, gender, ethnicity, income, and many other factors. This targeting, regardless of how it’s done, enables manipulation, discrimination, and filter bubbles that many people would like to avoid.”

    DuckDuckGo has also enhanced its tracking blockers on its extension. This protection from FLoC appears on version 2021.4.8 and newer of the DuckDuckGo extension and is also in the process of being approved for the Chrome Web Store. Keep in mind though that by default it will set your default search engine and homepage to DuckDuckGo Search.

    Several organizations dealing with privacy pleaded with Google not to use FLoC, but to no avail. While Google makes it sound as though it is trying to improve privacy online, replacing third-party cookies with a tracking system that is enabled by default certainly sounds just as bad.

    Lees ook:

  • Leo Burnett India Introduces ‘StreetEye’

    Leo Burnett India Introduces ‘StreetEye’

    Leo Burnett is a global multi-disciplinary consultancy firm that specializes in, advertising, brand consultancy, communication, marketing, and so on. While the company isn’t active in the business of road safety, Leo Burnett recently introduced a first-of-its-kind product in India. Called the ‘StreetEye’, this two-wheeler mounted device is designed to detect potholes and alert a two-wheeler rider of the same in real-time. StreetEye was conceptualized, designed, and manufactured by Leo Burnett and the project was sponsored by Acko Insurance.

    India has one of the densest road networks in the world. Traffic data from 2019 suggests that 4,775 road accidents were caused by pot holes, resulting in 2,140 deaths. So a device that can be mounted on a two-wheeler and alerts motorists of pot holes well in time, has the potential to save thousands of lives and even prevent injuries to two-wheeler users.

    Leo Burnett says that the StreetEye device uses stereo cameras and light detecting to map potholes on the road’s surface and alert the rider so that he/she can take adequate action to avoid the same. The device has a pot-hole detection range of up to eight meters. The device will be light and gets a sleek design. And it is encased in a weatherproof body.

    Speaking about the prospective launch Rajdeepak Das, CEO, and Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett said “At Leo Burnett we believe the only way to predict the future is to create it ourselves. We have always been driven by our HumanKind philosophy which puts people and problems at the center of all our initiatives. The teams at Leo Burnett have been tirelessly researching, developing, and testing various versions of StreetEye to find a solution to one of the vital problems i.e. accidents due to potholes. And we are very excited about this product and would be launching it soon in the market.”

    The StreetEye device is yet to be launched in India and so far,

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Instagram no longer allows adults to send DMs to underage users

    Instagram no longer allows adults to send DMs to underage users

    Instagram is trying to make itself safer for a certain category of users. Lately, the social network introduced a set of features that limit interactions between Instagram users to protect their privacy. In that regard, the most recent changes announced by Instagram are meant to protect underage users from adults who don’t follow them.

    The new changes will prevent conversations between adults and teens who don’t follow one another. When an adult tries to send a message to a teen on Instagram who doesn’t follow them, they will receive a notification that DMing them isn’t an option.

    In addition to these changes, Instagram will implement prompts to encourage teens to be more careful in conversations with adults they’re already connected to. Instagram will notify teens when an adult who has been “exhibiting potentially suspicious behavior” is interacting with them via direct messages.

    These messages are usually sent to teens if an adult is sending a large amount of friend or message requests to people under 18, and they include various options like block, report, or restrict the adult in question.

    But that’s not all! Instagram announced that in the coming weeks it will make it even more difficult for adults who have been “exhibiting potentially suspicious behavior” to interact with underage Instagram users. Many of these changes will be implemented in some countries this month, but they will be available everywhere by the end of the year.

    Lees ook:

  • China forces new mobile network subscribers to provide facial scans

    China forces new mobile network subscribers to provide facial scans

    A controversial law which forces new mobile subscribers in China to first provide scans of their face has now been implemented.

    To sign up for a new plan, Chinese consumers will still need their national ID card but will now also be forced to supply facial scans. First announced in September, Beijing says it’s taking the step to “protect the legitimate rights and interest of citizens in cyberspace.”

    The measure is designed to reduce fraud. However, privacy campaigners believe it’s also part of Beijing’s desire to ensure no-one is truly anonymous online.

    Being able to link digital identities to real-world individuals helps to silence dissenters. At a time when protestors in Hong Kong are facing brutality for expressing their view that Beijing has infringed on the country’s autonomy, the new measures have naturally raised further concerns.

    Another fear is how the collected facial scans are being used after verification. Strict data laws in many Western countries require explicit consent as to how data is stored and used, but such laws are practically nonexistent in China.

    Facial scans may be used to further train national facial recognition algorithms that have already been used for oppressive purposes.

    China uses a robust facial recognition system in Xinjiang, a Muslim-dominated region. Geofencing is used in tandem with facial recognition to alert the authorities if targets venture beyond a 300-meter safe zone.

    Beijing maintains the system in Xinjiang is vital to tackle numerous incidents of violence and unrest, which it links to Islamic extremists. However, Human Rights Watch has condemned the policies as a “violation of international human rights norms.”

    China boasts the world’s largest surveillance network with around 170 million security cameras and plans to install a further 400 million over the next three years.

    In a bid to quickly understand this massive resource and provide actionable insights, Beijing is turning to AI.

    The world’s most valuable AI startup, SenseTime, is a Chinese firm that provides technology for the government’s surveillance network.

    SenseTime’s Viper system aims to process and analyze over 100,000 simultaneous real-time streams from traffic cameras, ATMs, and more, to automatically tag and keep track of individuals.

    It’s unclear whether SenseTime will have direct access to facial scans collected by the Chinese government, but it seems likely scans will be used by the authorities to find those it deems a threat.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Hulu update brings offline downloads to iPhone users

    Hulu update brings offline downloads to iPhone users

    After making its mobile app more accessible to users, Hulu announced another important update that brings a much-requested feature: offline downloads. Whether you’re planning to travel or just want to be sure that you have your favorite TV shows with you at all times, you can now watch Hulu whenever you wish with this new feature.

    The bad news is it’s only available for iOS users, but Hulu says that offline downloads will come to Android users “soon,” so we’re confident that it won’t take too long for the company to bring the feature to a larger audience.

    So, available today on iOS for views on Hulu (No Ads), the new feature allows you to download thousands of shows and movies, including past seasons of hits series like Family Guy, Desperate Housewives, and ER, as well as Hulu Originals such as The Handmaid’s Tale.

    To use the new feature simply head to the Downloads tab at the bottom of the screen and you should be able to access any downloaded content. Make sure to tap the “See What’s Downloadable” tab to browse through all the titles that you can take with you on the go.

    Keep in mind that not all content on Hulu is available for download, so if you’re looking for a specific title, you’ll see a download icon on the details page if it’s available for download.

    Hulu also confirmed that users can download up to 25 titles across 5 different devices. Also, you’ll have up to 30 days to watch the content that you downloaded. Finally, for watched content, the download will expire two days after starting playback, but you’ll be able to renew an expired download when online if the content is still available on Hulu.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Alibaba adds 20 million users but sales down

    Alibaba adds 20 million users but sales down

    Alibaba Group boosted second-quarter revenues by 42 per cent, as the number of active users on its e-commerce sites grew by 20 million.

    “Alibaba had a great quarter, expanding our user base to 674 million annual active consumers, demonstrating our superior user experience,” said Daniel Zhang, CEO.

    “We will continue to expand our customer base, increase operating efficiency and deliver robust growth. With strong cash flow from our core commerce business, we will continue to invest in technology and bring digital transformation to millions of businesses globally,” he said.

    CFO Maggie Wu said the company was pleased to see sustained user engagement and consumer spending across its platforms. “We continue to invest for long-term growth while at the same time gaining cost efficiencies in our investment areas,” she said.

    The group reported net income attributable to shareholders of RMB21.252 billion (US$3.096 billion), on total revenue of RMB114.924 billion (US$16.741 billion). The annual active consumers on the group’s Mainland China retail marketplaces reached 674 million in the year to June 30.

    The company said its Taobao marketplace was the fast-growing consumer community, adding users and strengthening engagement in less-developed areas of the mainland. “The increase in annual active consumers reflects strong user acquisition programs, such as referrals through the Alipay app and another record-breaking 6.18 Mid-Year Shopping Festival, which deepened our penetration into less-developed areas,” the company said.

    “During the quarter, more than 70 per cent of the increase in annual active consumers was from less-developed areas, demonstrating the success of our initiatives to cater to a broader base of users, such as using simpler interfaces for first-time or less-frequent users.”

    Sales on grew at 34 per cent year on year, driven by increases in the number of users and their average spend, reflecting strength in fast-moving consumer goods, apparel, consumer electronics and home furnishings.

    Alibaba’s self-owned-and-operated grocery-retail chain Freshippo (Hema) continued to achieve robust same-store sales growth, expand its footprint, optimising its stores and introducing new initiatives to improve the customer experience, the company said. As at June 30, there were 150 self-operated Freshippo stores in 17 mainland cities.

    The group’s international business also showed growth, especially in Southeast Asia where Lazada showed “solid operational improvement” after strengthening its third-party marketplace business, management team and technology infrastructure. For the third consecutive quarter, Lazada achieved more than 100-per-cent year-on-year order growth.

  • Google now allows users to auto-delete user data

    Google now allows users to auto-delete user data

    Google is making it possible for Android and iOS users to auto-delete location history and activity data starting today. Although the search giant already provided the ability to turn on or off the Location History and Web & App Activity directly from the Google Account, including the option to manually delete the data recorded, there was one feature that makes it so much easier to get rid of this data.

    Starting today, a new set of auto-delete controls are available in the Google app, which will allow users to manage their data easier than before. Simply choose a time limit for how long you want your activity data to be saved, and any data that’s older than that will be automatically deleted from your account.

    Google mentions that you’ll be able to set a time limit for how long your activity data to be saved from anywhere between 3 and 18 months, so there’s that.

    According to Google, users should start seeing the new auto-delete controls soon, and that they will come first to Location History and Web & App Activity. A broader rollout should happen in the coming weeks, so if you don’t see the new feature right away, you’ll have to wait.

    Lees ook:

  • Spotify free-tier users will be targeted with more relevant ads

    Spotify free-tier users will be targeted with more relevant ads

    Spotify has found a way to better generate more revenue from the ads it delivers to users of its free music streaming service. Although today’s announcement is aimed at advertisers that will now be able to target ads based on the category of podcasts people listen to, users of Spotify’s free service are the ones affected by the decision.

    Up until now, Spotify’s free-tier users would be targeted by ads based on the music they listen to, such as genre or playlist, but starting today, advertisers will be able to target them more specifically based on the category of podcasts they like.

    Spotify said that this is just the first step towards building a solid advertising strategy around podcasts, which was started not long ago by the partnership with Samsung and 3M.

    We aspire to develop a more robust advertising solution for podcasts that will allow us to layer in the kind of targeting, measurement, and reporting capabilities we have for ads that run alongside other content experiences like music and video.

    The new ads will play between songs for those who don’t pay for Spotify Premium, so that doesn’t change. However, free-tier listeners will notice that there are now more specific, depending on the podcasts they listen. The new capability is now rolling out to 10 market: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, UK, and the US.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Google Calendar update adds Dark Mode for Android users

    Google Calendar update adds Dark Mode for Android users

    Google has just announced that the long-awaited dark mode is now rolling out on Android for two of its apps: Calendar and Keep. Ahead of Android Q’s release, Google has decided to bring dark mode to many apps. We learned last week that Google Keep will be getting the feature, but Calendar is a bit of a surprise.

    The announcement contains a couple of screenshots showing both Calendar and Keep apps with dark mode enabled. If you want to start using it on Google Calendar, you should head to Settings / General / Theme, and select Dark mode. It’s much easier to enable it in Google Keep; simply go to Settings and choose Enable Dark Mode.

    Now, it’s worth mentioning that dark mode for Calendar is only supported on device running Android Nougat and higher. Also, if you have Android Q preview installed on your phone, you’ll be able to set the entire OS in dark mode by default. The same goes for Google Keep with one exception, dark mode will work on all devices powered by Android Lollipop and later.

    According to Google, the update that brings dark mode to Calendar and Keep apps will be rolled out to compatible Android devices over the course of 15 days. The rollout has already begun on May 16 for Google Calendar, while Google Keep will get it starting today, May 20.

    Lees ook:

  • Alibaba Acquires 104 million monthly Active Users

    Alibaba Acquires 104 million monthly Active Users

    Alibaba Group added 104 million monthly active users to its Chinese online retail marketplaces during the year to March 31.

    That stellar growth, driven by successful user-acquisition programs such as referrals through the Alipay app, took the total to 721 million. At the end of last year, the figure was 654 million, while quarter-on-quarter growth was 22 million.

    A standout feature of the growth is that Alibaba is cutting through into lower-tier, less developed cities which accounted for 70 percent of user growth last quarter.

    The figures were included in the company’s annual results, which, as reported earlier, included revenue growth of 51 percent during the year to March 31 to US$56.2 billion and net income up 31 percent to $13.1 billion.

    Chinese marketplaces recorded total gross merchandise volume (GMV) of $853 billion last year, up 19 percent on last year, which keeps the company on track to achieve its US$1 trillion total GMV target by the end of 2020.

    The company said its Taobao platform continues to grow fast. This year, a new interface was launched aimed at improving the user experience through content innovation and intelligent personalized recommendations.

    “It delivers a customized shopping experience by segmenting users based on behavior data and providing them with more recommendations to enhance product and content discovery,” the company said in a statement. “The new interface also includes Taobao’s innovative content, such as curated posts, short-form videos, and live-broadcast events. These initiatives drove strong growth in user engagement, purchase conversion, and annual active consumers.”

    Meanwhile, Alibaba’s mainstay Tmall is gaining wallet share and growing faster than the sector average, the company said.

    The growth of physical goods GMV, excluding unpaid orders, accelerated to 33 percent year-on-year in the quarter to March 31, compared to 29 percent in the previous quarter.

    “This robust growth was driven primarily by a strong performance of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), apparel, electronics, and home furnishing categories during the March quarter.”

    Its premium Luxury Pavilion channel boosted its brand lineup to more than 100 luxury brands, all of which have also opened Tmall flagship stores

  • Apple Watch saves lives says Studies

    Apple Watch saves lives says Studies

    A large study sponsored by Apple has revealed that the Apple Watch can detect an irregular heartbeat. 400,000 Apple Watch users were invited to take part in the study and the results were presented today in New Orleans at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology. 2,000 participants, or .5% of those wearing the smartwatch, received a notification about an irregular pulse. The 2,000 were sent a patch for their Apple Watch that included an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor to help detect atrial fibrillation (AFib).

    AFib, which is an irregular heartbeat, can lead to strokes, blood clots, heart failure and other serious issues. AFib contributes to 130,000 deaths a year in the U.S. The Apple Watch series 4 already includes an ECG monitor right out of the box, but the study was completed before this new variant of the timepiece was released. Returning to the study, about 33% of the 2,000 study participants who were flagged with an irregular pulse were told that they had AFib, according to the ECG patch that they were sent.

    57% of the Apple Watch wearers in the study sought medical help when they received a warning about an irregular pulse. That number might surprise consumers since it means that 43% of Apple Watch wearers in the study ignored the warning. Dr. Mitesh Patel, an assistant professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, noted that while the Apple Watch is good at detecting warning signs of heart disease, the watch needs to be combined with something that will motivate users to act on these warnings. In other words, receiving a warning without following up on it could prove fatal to the user.

    When an Apple Watch wearer in the study received a notification of an irregular heart beat, the notification would ask the participant to schedule a telemedicine appointment with one of the doctors associated with the study. At that point, the ECG patch would be sent to those receiving the notification, and was used to record the rhythm of their heart for up to one week.

    Only 57% of study participants receiving a irregular pulse notification sought medical help

    The researchers behind the study said that Doctors need to be careful when using data from consumer devices when treating patients. On the other hand, a Boston cardiologist named Dr. Deepak Bhatt said that the study was very important because more people will be wearing wearable devices in the future.

    “Atrial fibrillation is just the beginning, as this study opens the door to further research into wearable technologies and how they might be used to prevent disease before it strikes.”-Lloyd Minor, dean, Stanford School of Medicine.

    “The performance and accuracy we observed in this study provides important information as we seek to understand the potential impact of wearable technology on the health system.”- Dr. Marco Perez, co-principal investigator and associate professor of cardiovascular medicine, Stanford Medicine

    Apple plans on making a big push into healthcare, and the Apple Watch is at the vanguard of this decision. While the series 4 model includes an ECG monitor along with the heart rate monitor that all Apple Watch models have, the company is working on a way for the Apple Watch to show a user’s blood glucose reading without a needle stick. This reading is used by diabetics to determine how much insulin they need to inject to bring their blood sugars down to a normal level. Currently, diabetics need to draw blood and place a drop of it on a test strip inserted into a glucometer to get a reading. This test is done several times a day.

    If Apple succeeds in producing a non-invasive blood glucose test for the Apple Watch, this alone could help Apple stay on top of the smartwatch market.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook: