Showing posts with label Google+. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Google+. Show all posts

21 August 2025

Indosat, Google Cloud introduce AI-driven smart search in Indonesia

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat) has launched an AI-powered semantic search feature for the apps developed for its myIM3 and bima+ brands. Developed in collaboration with Google Cloud, the technology enables searches with greater relevance, personalisation, and efficiency as searches are done through understanding the question rather than just looking for keywords. 

Source: Indosat. A mobile phone showing an app.
Source: Indosat. A mobile phone showing the myIM3 app.

This capability helps Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform to gain deep insights into customer behaviour and preferences. As a result, searches for services such as data packages, lifestyle features, and loyalty programmes like IMPoin and BonsTri can be dynamically tailored to meet each user's specific needs.

Bilal Kazmi, Director & Chief Commercial Officer Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, said: “With the support of Google Cloud, we are delivering a search system that is not only intelligent but also delivers tangible value, enhancing both user convenience and business performances. This collaboration represents a strategic step towards providing smarter, more personalised, and relevant digital experiences for our customers. 

"At Indosat, we are committed to ensuring that technology makes life easier, brings services closer, and serves as a powerful tool to empower Indonesia in navigating the digital era."

Fanly Tanto, Country Director, Indonesia, Google Cloud, stated: “As an industry-leading organisation in Google Cloud’s Indonesia BerdAIa programme, Indosat has been at the forefront of innovating with advanced, enterprise AI. Vertex AI Search’s in-built understanding of queries in Bahasa and English, the semantic meaning behind queries, and spelling variations will help surface more relevant digital services recommendations that meet the diverse lifestyle needs of millions of myIM3 and bima+ users. 

"This deployment demonstrates how the unique combination of Google Cloud's open platforms and Google-quality search can be seamlessly integrated with an enterprise’s custom-built AI models and existing applications, enabling smarter and more personalised digital experiences for its customers.”  

According to McKinsey’s research in the future of personalisation, 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions from brands. AI-driven personalisation also improves operational efficiency. As part of this launch, Indosat is introducing an interactive campaign, 30 Days of Treasure Hunt, running from August 21 to September 19, 2025. Through AI-powered search gamification, customers are encouraged to search for specific keywords or queries on the official Instagram accounts of IM3 @indosatim3 and Tri @triindonesia, and then access them via the search bar in the myIM3 or bima+ applications.

The most active users each day will have the opportunity to win a variety of e-vouchers, with a total prize pool of up to IDR5.5 M. To participate, customers can download the myIM3 app at https://myim3.co/getnow and the bima+ app at https://bima-3.co/getnow 

In addition, the semantic search technology is further supported by Sahabat-AI, an open-source large language model (LLM) specifically designed for the Indonesian language. Sahabat-AI is built to understand local contexts, including support for various regional languages and dialects, making customer interactions more engaging, relevant, and meaningful across Indonesia.

5 October 2017

Singtel to accept preorders for Google Pixel 2 XL from today

Singtel today announced that it will bring the highly anticipatedGoogle Pixel 2 XL to Singapore as its official telco partner. Singtel customers will be the first in Southeast Asia to purchase the brand new device when it is launched on 15 November.

Yuen Kuan Moon, Chief Executive Officer, Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said, “We’re excited to bring the Pixel 2 XL to Singapore. It is a device that many Android fans here have been eagerly waiting for, and we are sure they will be amazed by its innovative features. With our extensive 4G network speeds and new Combo plans, coupled with our unlimited data options, customers will enjoy the optimal Google Pixel 2 XL experience – they can take and upload as many selfies as they want and ask Google Assistant endless questions!”

On the fastest mobile network in Singapore, the Pixel 2 XL, a Cat 11 4G LTE device, allows customers to experience data speeds of up to 500Mbps islandwide.

Source: Google blog post. The Google Pixel 2 in Just Black.
Source: Google blog post. The Google Pixel 2 in Just Black.
Google Pixel 2 will have the "highest-rated camera in the world" according to independent camera experts DxOMark, said Google. The Pixel 2 XL is equipped with a camera that takes beautiful photos and standout videos in any light, unlimited cloud storage* for all your photos and videos in Google Photos, and a long-lasting battery with 7 hours of battery from 15 minutes of charge**. The Pixel 2 XL also comes with Google Lens, a new set of visual smarts, and a localised version of Google Assistant, which will be launched later this year for use with Singaporean English (Singlish).

A Google blog post has shared that high-quality portrait shots with background blurs (bokeh) can be taken from both the front and back cameras, and new motion photos will capture a few seconds of video around the shot to enrich the moment around the picture. Video is also smoother through combining both optical and electronic video stabilisation.

"The Pixel 2 camera is powered by our computational photography and machine learning (ML) capabilities which make all these great features easy, fun and fast for you to use," said Mario Queiroz, VP and GM for Phones, Google, in the blog post.

The company is also committed to enhancing camera features. One example "coming soon and exclusive to Pixel" will be augmented reality (AR) stickers, basically graphics that can be superimposed onto real life surroundings for photos and videos.

Pixel 2 owners will get an exclusive preview of Google Lens that builds on Google’s advancements in computer vision and ML, combined with the Knowledge Graph which underpins Google Search.

"From day one, on your Pixel 2, you’ll be able to look up landmarks, books, music albums, movies, and artwork, by clicking on the Lens icon in Google Photos. You can also use Google Lens to copy URLs and contact info from a picture of a poster or business card. We’ll add capabilities on an on-going basis, including to use of Lens in the Google Assistant," Queiroz explained.

The integrated Google Assistant will makes tasks—from sending a text or making a call, to finding an answer—faster, easier and hands-free, Google said. "You won’t need to edit the text messages you dictate as often as you do with other assistants. With Pixel 2, you can access your Google Assistant with a new feature called Active Edge. Just give the phone a quick squeeze—even when it’s in a case—and ask the Assistant for what you need," Queiroz said.
Source: Google blog post. The Google Pixel 2 in Kinda Blue.
Source: Google blog post. The Google Pixel 2 in Kinda Blue.

The Pixel 2 is water- and dust- resistant to the IP67 standard and there will be monthly security updates from Google. It comes in two sizes: the 5" version has a cinematic OLED display, and comes in Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue. The 6" Pixel 2 XL has a pOLED 18:9 display comes in Just Black and Black & White. Both phones are powered by Android 8.0 Oreo and come with an always-on display to show notifications without having to touch the power button.

Alongside Pixel there are new cases and accessories, such as customisable Google Live Cases, and a range of other cases, cables, headphones and more from over 25 partners in the “made for Google” programme. "The 'made for' products will feature a badge on the packaging so you know they've been certified to meet Google's compatibility standards," said Queiroz.

Interested?

Customers can register their interest in Singapore with Singtel for Google Pixel 2 XL from 9am today. Google says most people will be able to copy their contacts, apps, messages, photos, and even their iMessages from their old phones to Pixel in 10 minutes or less.

In India, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be available online exclusively on Flipkart and in retail stores, with Pixel 2 being available for sale starting 1 November 2017, and Pixel 2 XL available starting 15 November 2017. Both will be available in 1,000+ stores across the country. The Pixel 2 64GB will cost Rs61,000, Pixel 2 128GB is set at Rs70,000, Pixel 2 XL 64GB at Rs 73,000, and the Pixel 2 XL 128GB at Rs 82,000. Preorders start on 26 October 2017.

The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will also be available in Australia.

*Free, unlimited original-quality storage for photos and videos taken with Pixel through the end of 2020, and free, unlimited high-quality storage for photos taken on Pixel afterwards.  

**Approximate battery life based on use of the included charger and a mix of talk, data, and standby use with the ‘always on’ display feature turned off.  Actual results may vary - see website for details.  

2 August 2017

Google Tango experiences launched as part of Visual SG festival

The Science Centre Singapore, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, has launched an augmented reality experience using Google Tango technology.

Visitors to the Singapore Science Centre can try Google Tango at the recently refurbished E3 exhibition (E-mmersive Experiential Environments), an immersive environment that offers virtual and augmented reality experiences.

Users with Tango-enabled phones, such as the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro and the Asus ZenFone AR, can just hold up their phones and watch as moving objects and information appear as a virtual layer on top of their surroundings.

Google Tango exhibits at E3 include Space Adventurer, which features some of the issues related to living in an environment unlike Earth. This includes implications for physical health, mental health and food.

Other exhibition highlights include:

·         Wall-to-wall projections 7m high where visitors can explore scenes like underwater ruins and outer space and even interact with selected elements in the scenery

·         The Sen-So-Real Station offers visitors the chance to manoeuvre floating astronauts and satellites, and also change the environments they are in with the placement of three RFID cubes

·        Dock spaceships using a giant trackball.

·         Zoom in to the Sun and see it in different layers of immersion.

·         Interact with liquid in a zero gravity environment.

The Google Tango launch is part of the fourth Visual SG, itself part of a month-long Singapore Science Festival (SSF), which returned in its 17th edition with more offerings to encourage stronger curiosity about science and innovation.

Source: Singapore Science Centre. Poster for SSF 2017.
Source: Singapore Science Centre. Poster for SSF 2017.
On till 19 August 2017, SSF 2017 will connect local and international changemakers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics community. The event is jointly organised by Science Centre Singapore and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

In line with the theme of Future Health, SSF 2017 will showcase the development and use of innovative approaches in science and technology that would support the transformation of healthcare to one centred on the well-being of patients and caregivers. This will be presented through a suite of activities, from lectures and talks, to workshops and interactive games, designed for participants of all ages.

“Science and technology have played an important role in the advancement of healthcare, and will have the potential to improve our everyday life. We’re excited to present SSF 2017 and celebrate innovations that are relevant, creative and presented in fun and interactive ways. We hope that more visitors will enjoy the wide range of multisensory activities offered during SSF, and that it will inspire visitors young and old to discover science and innovation in their own way,” said Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive, Science Centre Singapore when the event was announced. SSF 2017 also features refreshed returns of crowd favourites like X-periment! @ one-north Festival, Singapore Maker Extravaganza, STAR Lecture and Visual SG. 

“Every year, the Singapore Science Festival highlights the profound contributions of STEM* to both economic and societal outcomes. This year’s focus on the future of health is particularly pertinent, given our rapidly ageing population and also a general increased awareness of the importance of individual health and wellness,” said Professor Ng Huck Hui, Executive Director of the A*STAR Graduate Academy, and the Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR.

"We hope that this year’s festival encourages young people to take a greater interest in scientific research that impacts health and more, and inspires them to take a more active role in the STEM community – be it as makers and hobbyists, or future scholars and academics.”

Festival highlights include:

X-periment! @ one-north Festival, a two-day science carnival on 18 and 19 August that celebrates the latest development and innovation on the theme of Future Health; 

Visual SG, a key visualisation festival ending 13 August with interactive displays, forums and workshops.

 The STAR Lecture ending 3 August, titled Supercharged: Fueling the Future by Professor Saiful Islam, who is from the department of Materials Chemistry at the University of Bath, UK;

Science Centre Singapore is a non-formal educational institution that brings out the wonders of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through a blend of exhibitions, educational programmes and events. The Centre’s group of attractions include Southeast Asia’s largest seamless dome screen and featuring the latest and brightest 8k digital fulldome system in the world; Singapore’s only permanent indoor snow centre; and Singapore’s first children’s science centre offering purposeful play for children aged 18 months to eight years old.

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector agency that spearheads economic oriented research to advance scientific discovery and develop innovative technology.

Interested?

Download Tango apps

Tango is currently supported by the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro and the Asus ZenFone AR devices.
The ArtScience Museum of Singapore and the National Museum of Singapore also offer Tango experiences.

*Science, technology, engineering and mathematics  

posted from Bloggeroid


10 July 2017

Impact Hub members get access to Google for Entrepreneurs resources

Source: Impact Hub. Horowitz (left) with Sai (right).
Source: Impact Hub. Horowitz (left) with Sai (right).

Singapore’s largest coworking and entrepreneur-building community, Impact Hub, has announced that Google for Entrepreneurs is its first tech hub partner in Southeast Asia. Impact Hub Singapore members can now take advantage of Google for Entrepreneurs’ global network and resources, spanning dozens of coworking spaces and community programmes across 135 countries.

Impact Hub Singapore takes a holistic approach to encouraging startups by providing everything from coworking space to resources and tools early-stage businesses need to grow. The five year-old Impact Hub is home to Singapore’s largest community of creatives, entrepreneurs, and technologists. Member startups have raised more than US$180 million since Impact Hub Singapore opened its doors. Impact Hub Singapore comprises more than 650 entrepreneurs, professionals and freelancers, and has partnerships with 50 corporate, university and government-linked organisations.

At the launch, Grace Sai, CEO and Co-Founder, Impact Hub Singapore, said, “We are proud to be the first Google for Entrepreneurs tech hub partner in Southeast Asia, and we are looking forward to being the goto place for entrepreneurs, not only for local Singaporean companies, but also for startups from around the world that wish to build and scale their business in Singapore and Southeast Asia.”

Impact Hub Singapore’s range of services for startups include mentoring programmes, incubation, networking events, fundraising workshops, consultancy with experts, marketing support, and access to a global network of more than 100 Impact Hubs on five continents with over 20,000 Hubbers.

Bradley Horowitz, VP of Product Management, Google, who leads Google for Entrepreneurs globally, added, "Grace and her team are indispensable members of the Singapore startup community, and Impact Hub is an innovation leader not only for Singapore, but across greater Southeast Asia. Google for Entrepreneurs is all about providing the best of Google's resources to our global partner network. We can’t wait to collaborate with Impact Hub Singapore’s members.”

As members of the Google for Entrepreneurs network, Impact Hub Singapore and the greater Singapore startup community will have access to new resources including training and mentorship opportunities, plus access to:

● Google for Entrepreneurs global programmes: Hubbers can now apply for programmes like Google for Entrepreneurs Exchange, a series of week-long, vertically-specific global immersion programmes aimed at helping startups gain access into new markets and insights, and Google Demo Day, an event that brings together a diverse group of startups from around the world to showcase their technology and meet top investors and mentors in Silicon Valley in the US.

● A global network: Hubbers will join 50 other organisations with a global footprint in more than 135 countries, including six campuses, which are Google-owned and operated spaces for entrepreneurs. Impact Hub members are now connected to the Google for Entrepreneurs Passport programme, which allows members to access more than 20 Google partner spaces the world over, such as in Seoul, Korea.

● Google resources: Relevant startups will be eligible for Google product offers and have access to local and international mentorship from Google advisors.

Impact Hub Singapore, inspired by Google’s campus, will also provide more opportunities for collaboration:

● From August onwards, Impact Hub Singapore will open 30 free coworking seats per day in the coworking area be even more inclusive and welcoming to the tech-curious as well as to current and aspiring entrepreneurs.

1 April 2017

Digital marketing methods must change in the Middle East during Ramadhan

  Source: Think with Google website. Changes in statistics for Musalsalat, a hub for a Ramadhan TV series, during the month.

Source: Think with Google website. Changes in statistics for Musalsalat, a hub for a Ramadhan TV series, during the month.

Ramadhan requires specific digital marketing optimisation techniques in the Middle East and North Africa, says the Think with Google blog. According to blog authors Vrinda Singh, Google Analytical Consultant, David Lacklen, YouTube Specialist, and Younis Maqousi, Google Analytical Consultant, people access the Internet more often on their mobile devices, watch more YouTube videos, and use search engines more often during the month.

"We also notice that during Ramadhan people are more willing to engage with brands, they watch more ads on YouTube and they share, like and comment more. This heightened engagement behaviour is then sustained for the remainder of the year, so establishing a strong presence in Ramadhan is crucial for long term success," say Singh, Lacklen and Maqousi.

According to Google, average view duration during Ramadhan increases by 11%, users subscribe at 13% more quickly, and commented 57% more during Ramadhan 2016 compared to the rest of the year.
The top six learnings from top Ramadhan ads in 2016, garnered through the inaugural Lantern award, are:

1. Do multi-part stories

2. Think like a service provider, such as a bank or telco

3. Engage people

4. Try different ways to tell the story

5. Consider not using a celebrity

6. Eid is a good focus, too

Timing is important, too. The Ramadhan build-up begins a month before the start. Searches for recipes are 50% higher than the annual average at the start of the month, and cooking videos on Youtube increase in views a month before, spiking at almost 30% higher than average in the first week of Ramadhan. Think with Google says that there is a 44% decrease of viewership between the first and last week of Ramadhan, and 25% more viewership during the month than in other months.

Source: Think with Google page. Spikes in searches for recipes during Ramadhan.
Source: Think with Google page. Spikes in searches for recipes during Ramadhan.

Internet activity is typically up in the hours before the fast is broken, and down thereafter, for example. According to the blog authors, UAE food delivery queries go up 144% between 1pm and 7pm. The busiest search times for restaurant information then comes between 6 PM and 8 PM - just around iftar, but continues until around 2am.

There are more searches around faith and religion, particularly for music and film, but also animated movies, possibly to entertain children, the blog authors said. Other popular searches were for keywords around luxury vehicles, fashion and beauty.

Interested?

Browse the detailed statistics for Ramadhan digital behaviour in Ramadan Insights part 1, about data mining and insight generation

16 April 2016

Yahoo Mail adds to the types of content that can be added to emails

The updated Yahoo Mail app users can now send files from Google Drive or Dropbox, as well as GIFs from Tumblr when as part of their email messages. Now that users can manage multiple mailboxes from the Yahoo Mail app, the latest update helps them send emails that include content via more sources from any of their email addresses.

Source: Yahoo. Add GIFs from Tumblr to emails.
Source: Yahoo. Add GIFs
from Tumblr to emails.
When composing an email in the Yahoo Mail app, users can choose from top-trending GIFs around the world, courtesy of Tumblr. Tapping on the cloud icon in compose mode will lead to an invitation to connect Google Drive or Dropbox accounts, allowing instant access to all files in the cloud. Yahoo Mail will also surface items based on title or file contents for easier searching.

Additional features:

Preview large files instantly on iPhone and iPad, without downloading it first

Delete drafts permanently on Android

Android home screen widgets offer dynamically-updated information about the inbox: a preview, a badged icon, and a shortcut to the compose screen.

Interested?

These updates to the Yahoo Mail app are available for iOS (version 4.3) and Android (version 5.4).

posted from Bloggeroid

11 April 2016

Using Tableau visualisations in real-time to start a conversation

Murphy shows how 'before Tableau' contrasts with 'after Tableau'. He discovered Tableau in 2010.
Murphy shows how 'before Tableau' contrasts with 'after Tableau'. He discovered Tableau in 2010.

In a presentation called Don't Fear the Data, Google's Head of TV Attribution (APAC), David Murphy says that large datasets are easy to work with if you have the right tools. Speaking at the Tableau on Tour conference in Singapore, Murphy said that his life can easily be divided into 'Before Tableau' and 'After Tableau'.

Before he discovered Tableau's visualisation software, he used spreadsheets to create charts, and did not look forward to making changes as it was complex and time-consuming even to make minor changes to the chart. If different versions of the chart had to be made for different teams, a change meant updating all the different versions, with the risk of human error occurring along the way.

The software was also slow, and tended to break down, he added. Questions had to be predetermined. "You need to know what you need to pull out from the data before you can do something with it," Murphy explained.

"It turns people off big data - you come up with lots of reasons why you won't do it rather than saying 'let's do it'," he said.

The Tableau epiphany for Murphy occurred in 2010, he said. He found that he could create charts "twice as fast, or better". "It freed me up to do more cool things, there was more time for me to analyse and bring insights, rather than being a data monkey and doing manual tasks," he said. "I solved problems more easily. (Tableau) greatly reduced the concept-to-implementation gap."

With Tableau, there was no need to worry about breaking equations and cell references, as can happen in spreadsheet software, he said. "There is no need to lock in design. You can rapidly iterate, get more responsive to the needs of the business and to the needs of the users...get much faster insights," he said.

Instead of having a customer or manager ask a question and returning in a week with the charts that answered the question, Tableau allows real-time changes to the data, maintaining the momentum there and then. "I can have a conversation with the data there and then, with the stakeholders who want to know," he said.

Instead of predetermined questions, Tableau has freed Murphy to play around with the data at his disposal, he added. "If you think it, you can do it," he said, with trivial questions potentially leading to something useful.
   
Using Tableau for data visualisation has replaced spreadsheets.
Using Tableau for data visualisation has replaced spreadsheets.

At Google, Murphy uses Tableau to show the relationships between broadcast advertisement airings and online engagement. "Previously you would have had to (show the customer) a .csv file with 12 dimensions and eight measures," he said.

He noted that while each customer's needs are unique, he can now address them in real-time. "You can be really responsive. You don't have to know everything before you go in; you can learn together with customers," he said. "It shows that we care and we keep to the heart of things which I couldn't really do with spreadsheet solutions, and (that) would have taken months to do."

Murphy has also set up a personal site, Datasaurus-Rex, which features visualisations created with Tableau. Among his projects are a dog year calculator, connecting dengue fever cases with mosquito breeding habitats, through crowdsourced insights. "It makes things accessible to people," he said. "I can dive into unknown datasets with ease, and empower others to understand data."

Interested?

Check out Murphy's visualisations on the Datasaurus-Rex site
View visualisations made with Tableau Public
Get a free trial of Tableau

Read the TechTrade Asia blog posts on building a Smart Nation and why visualisations matter

Hashtags: #data16, #datasaurusrex

19 December 2015

Harbour City tops Hong Kong Google mobile searches for 2015

Source: Harbour City.

Harbour City, the largest shopping mall in Hong Kong, was named by Google's Year in Search as the leader in Top Trending Mobile Searches for Local Destinations of 2015. Located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong's core tourist district, the mall was also ranked sixth in Top Trending Search Keywords on Mobile. 

Spread over 2 million sq ft, Harbour City offers shopping, dining, entertainment and sightseeing services. Three of the restaurants in Harbour City - Lady M, House of Jasmine and Coffee Academics - were named 3rd, 6th and 8th respectively in the Top Trending Places for Food on Mobile Search. 

Google noted Harbour City's variety of promotions and events, such as Where's Wally? and Google Play Game Week, have helped the mall take the top spot. The mall is currently running a Christmas presentation in celebration of Hong Kong Disneyland's 10th anniversary.

11 November 2015

Turn by turn navigation in Google Maps - offline

Google Maps is going to have more features even when it is offline.

"Whereas before you could simply view an area of the map offline, now you can get turn-by-turn driving directions, search for specific destinations, and find useful information about places, like hours of operation, contact information or ratings," said Amanda Bishop, Product Manager, Google, in a blog post.

"By default, we’ll only download areas to your device when you are on a Wi-Fi connection to prevent large data fees."

The first set of offline improvements will be seen in the latest version of Google Maps on Android, and then on iOS. More offline features are planned.

Interested?

Download an area for offline use by searching for a city, county or country, for instance, and tapping "Download" on the resulting place sheet, or by going to "Offline Areas" in the Google Maps menu and tapping on the “+” button. Once downloaded, Google Maps will move into offline mode automatically as required.

posted from Bloggeroid

29 August 2015

360 Security, iQIYI claim top spots in App Annie download rankings

360 Security, a mobile antivirus and performance application for Android users, said it had gained 11 places on the Google Play download chart to rank as the 6th most popular app to download worldwide in July according to the App Annie Index. A heightened awareness of mobile security among consumers combined with the recent launch of a campaign in Korea and Japan is credited with contributing to this most recent ranking.

360 Security offers consumers an all-in-one utility for virus protection, memory optimisation and power saving. According to the App Annie report, the 360 Security app has been gaining popularity globally, when security apps have seen a rise in downloads. Since launching on Google Play two years ago, the 360 Security app has become a top security application among Android users, ranking number one in 90 countries on the Google Play Store's Tools Ranking, the company said.

Stated Yan Huang, COO of 360 Security: "We have seen an increase in awareness among consumers to take extra steps to protect their mobile devices. Our latest ranking on Google Play further establishes the importance of 360 Security and mobile protection. Furthermore, the continuous improvement of the user experience and our new features increased our popularity."

The app is the only all-in-one free speed booster and antivirus app. With one click, users can speed up their devices, or clean up junk files for bigger memory space and longer battery life, while protecting their devices from viruses, malware, adware, ransomeware, vulnerabilities or trojans.

iQIYI, an independently operated subsidiary of Baidu and one of the largest Internet and mobile video service providers in China, separately announced that App Annie had named its iQIYI Video HD app as the 6th most downloaded app worldwide for iOS and 9th by revenue. The app gained 10 places by downloads and nine places by revenue in July 2015. The app also ranked among the top five iOS Entertainment apps in China by monthly active users.

The report attributed iQIYI Video HD's surge in the worldwide rankings to iQIYI's growth in paid subscribers, driven by its "massive library of premium content".


Interested?

Read the App Annie report
Download the 360 Security app from the Play Store
Download the iQIYI Video app from the App Store

14 August 2015

Plantronics headsets to be controlled from Apple Watches and Android Wear wearables

Plantronics, an audio and wearable technology specialist, announced that the latest version of its Plantronics Hub for iOS and Android now supports the Apple Watch and Android Wear, broadening the company’s reach to include other devices within the growing mobile device ecosystem.

With the new smart watch extension, people can now manage the headset experience directly from their wrist. Plantronics Hub v3.5 for iOS and Android lets users manage, customise, and control premium Plantronics Bluetooth headsets, including Voyager Legend, Voyager Edge, and Voyager Focus UC. The controls include muting and unmuting the headset, volume control, battery status, and ending calls. 

Interested?

Plantronics Hub v3.5 for iOS and Android with smart watch support is free and available* now..

*Plantronics Hub for iOS requires iPhone 5, 5S, 5C, 6, 6 Plus and iOS 8.3; Plantronics for Android requires OS v2.3.3 and later

12 May 2015

Google likes mobile optimised sites. What are you doing about it?

World Markets Korea, an online marketing company based in Seoul, Korea, has listed some of the criteria that Google now looks at in determining mobile-friendly sites.
The criteria include text size, the amount of space between links and whether the content fits across a mobile screen. After reviewing these areas Google will then decide if your site is 'Mobile Friendly', the company said.

Businesses should get their web designers to update their sites accordingly. World Markets Korea also offers mobile optimisation services.


As of April 21 2015 Google gives preference to what it refers to as 'Mobile Friendly' sites when ranking a website in its searches. The move reflects a growing interest in using mobile devices to surf the Internet. As far back as the first quarter of 2014 Ofcom Research had already noted that smartphones and tablets account for 52% of users surfing the internet. 

According to Statcounter, Asia has seen an increase from 27.1% in June 2013 to 41.3% in June 2014 in proportion of Internet access from mobile devices, a year on year increase of 52.3%. In Oceania the increase is from 21.7% in June 2013 to 29% in June 2014, a year on year increase of 33.6%. 

Want to know more?
Businesses can check compliance with Google's criteria on Google's 'Mobile Friendly' test page

1 September 2014

Glassdoor shares list of top-rated companies for culture and values

Glassdoor has announced its report of the Top 25 Companies for Culture & Values, based on workplace insights shared by employees. Recognisable names in Asia Pacific include:

Twitter, which tops the list with a rating of 4.5* and the comment "the best place I have ever worked".

Rated no. 2 is PR agency Edelman, rated 4.4, which one employee says is "the only agency I will ever work for". Google was ranked no. 3 and also scored 4.4. It is called "an amazing company to work for" by one reviewer.

Riverbed is no. 4, with a score of 4.3. Facebook is rated 5th with the same score and National Instruments is 8th with a score of 4.2.

Apple is in 15th place and Nike is 16th; both scored 4.1. Disney is next at 17th, Citrix is 19th and Adobe is in 20th place; these three scored 4.0.

View the full list of 25 here.

*A rating of 4.01 or higher is equivalent to 'very satisfied'.

27 June 2014

Google shares how it's making you more productive this year

Google has shared a number of blog posts about news from I/O, Google's annual developer conference, which saw Sundar Pichai, Google SVP of Android, Chrome & Apps and Google's Urs Hölzle, SVP of Technical Infrastructure, announce a slew of sneak peeks and new products for Apps, Android, Chromebooks and the Cloud Platform.

The official Google blog noted that there are now one billion Android device users, sending an estimated 20 billion text messages a day, and 93 million selfies. Post author Pichai also talked about the introduction of:

Android Wear

Android Wear extends the Android ecosystem to wrist wearables. "Just say 'Ok Google' to ask questions or to get stuff done," says Pichai. Two Android wearables were announced at the conference, the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live. Both are available to order today on Google Play, with the Moto 360 from Motorola to be available in coming months.

Android Auto

When using phones is unsafe, as when driving, Google now has Android Auto. Similar to Apple's auto solution CarPlay, the Android phone is connected to a car with Android Auto, so that features like turn-by-turn navigation and curated playlists can be used. "This is accessible through your car’s controls, and more importantly, is far safer than fumbling around with your phone. You’ll start to see Android Auto in cars later this year," said Pichai.


Android One

For emerging markets, Google is creating an ecosystem which includes mobile computing hardware reference platforms. The Android One initiative will provide smartphones that are high quality, affordable and come with reasonable data plans, Pichai said. "Our partners will launch an initial range of sub-US$100 Android One smartphones starting in India this fall (editor's note: roughly September to November), with more countries to follow," said Pichai.

Amit Singh, President of Google Enterprise, shared a blog post about the following highlights: 

Google Drive for Work

Google's cloud storage service now comes with a premium edition for business, called Google Drive for Work. Features include unlimited storage, new admin controls, advanced file audit reporting, advanced audit reporting and new security controls for US$10 per user a month.


The fine-grained controls let admins customise the Drive experience, such as which employees can install the desktop sync client. With the new audit view they can see activity like moving, deleting or sharing a file within or outside the company. 

Files of up to 5 TB in size may be stored. Google points out in a blog post that no desktop or laptop on the market today has a hard drive of that capacity.


Updates to Google Docs

As of June 25, all files uploaded to Google Drive will be encrypted, not only from your device to Google and in transit between Google data centres, but also at 
rest on Google servers.

Quickoffice is now full integrated into Docs, Sheets and Slides, so users can open and edit those documents in Office Compatibility Mode directly on Android, and the Chrome browser. The same capability is coming soon to iOS. "This means you can open, edit, save and send Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files from your favourite device. You no longer have to buy additional software — it just works," said Amit Singh, President of Google Enterprise.

Android L

The company also shared some of the new features that will be in the next version of Android, just called “L”, that are intended for enterprises. Businesses will also be able buy apps in bulk on Google Play and make them available to employees. 

21 May 2014

Tencent is the most valuable brand in Asia today: BrandZ

China's Tencent is the most valuable Asian brand and the fastest-growing brand in the world, according to the 2014 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brand rankings. The brand almost doubled its value to US$54 billion to rise to No. 14 globally, overtaking China Mobile in the process.


Source: Millward Brown website.
"The big story here is that a market-driven Chinese brand is now at the top, rather than a state owned enterprise (SOE) that might have benefited from being a monopoly. Tencent continues to innovate and increasingly plays a bigger role in helping people to organise their lives, like other successful brands such as Google and Facebook," said Deepender Rana, Managing Director of Millward Brown Greater China.

"With 11 brands in the Top 100, China continues to have the largest representation from Asia. However, Chinese brands should not be complacent about the need to continuously invest their brand-building, as apart from the technology brands, other brands saw significant fluctuations. There is a need for the big SOE brands to become more market-oriented, and for Chinese brands to go abroad to become truly global," Rana further added.

Globally, Google has overtaken Apple to become the world's most valuable global brand in 2014. The brand is  worth US$159 billion, an increase of 40% year on year.

After three years at the top, Apple is now No. 2 on the back of a 20% decline in brand value, to US$148 billion. Whilst Apple remains a top performing brand, Millward Brown notes that there is a growing perception that it is no longer redefining technology for consumers, reflected by a lack of dramatic new product launches. The world's leading B2B brand is still IBM at No. 3, with a brand value of US$108 billion. 


Nick Cooper, Managing Director of Millward Brown Optimor, commented: "Google has been hugely innovative in the last year with Google Glass, investments in artificial intelligence and a multitude of partnerships that see its Android operating system becoming embedded in other goods such as cars. All of this activity sends a very strong signal to consumers about what Google is about and it has coincided with a slowdown at Apple."

"This year's index highlights the end of the recession, with a strong recovery in valuations and, for the first time, real growth across every category and the Top 100 as a whole," said David Roth, CEO of The Store, WPP. "What's remarkable is the way that strong brands have led the recovery. Seventy-one of the brands listed in our 2014 Top 100 were there in 2008. Despite the financial turmoil and the digital disruption that have decimated many businesses during the last few years, these brands have remained in the ranking, proving the durability of strong brands."

The BrandZTop 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study, commissioned by WPP and conducted by Millward Brown Optimor, is now in its ninth year. It is the only ranking that uses the views of potential and current buyers of a brand, alongside financial data, to calculate brand value.

The combined value of the Top 100 has nearly doubled since the first ranking was produced in 2006. The Top 100 today are worth US$2.9 trillion, an increase of 49% compared with the 2008 valuation, which marked the start of the banking and currency crisis.

The BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Global Brands 2014


Rank
2014
Rank 
2013
Brand
Category
Brand Value 2014 ($M)
Brand Value Change
1
2
Google
Technology
158,843
+40%
2
1
Apple
Technology
147,880
-20%
3
3
IBM
Technology
107,541
-4%
4
7
Microsoft
Technology
90,185
+29%
5
4
McDonald's
Fast Food
85,706
-5%
6
5
Coca-Cola
Soft Drinks
80, 4683
+3%
7
9
Visa
Credit Cards
79,197
+41%
8
8
AT&T
Telecoms
77,883
+3%
9
6
Marlboro
Tobacco
67,341
-3%
10
14
Amazon
Retail
64,255
+41%

Key findings highlighted in this year's research report include:
 

Share of Life: Successful brands such as Google (No. 1), Tencent, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are more than just tools; they have become part of our lives. They offer new forms of communication that absorb people's attention and imagination, while also helping them organise the rest of their lives at the same time. To gain more of our mind-space, brands such as Tencent and Google are even crossing categories. This trend also pushed No. 1 Apparel brand Nike, a prime example of a brand seeking to become a share of life brand, to offer services such as Nike+ that extend well beyond its functional raison d'etre. 

Technology brands performed strongly and had the highest total value: Although technology companies are less than a fifth of the Top 100, they make up nearly a third of the value of the BrandZ Top 100 ranking. Service-based brands are thriving while product-based companies are struggling. Product-based companies like Samsung, HP and Sony under-performed relative to Tencent, Facebook and Baidu.  

Apparel fastest growing category: The top 10 apparel brands grew in value by 29% to nearly US$100 billion this year, outpacing cars (up 17%) and retail (up 16%). Uniqlo, Nike and Adidas all recorded double-digit increases in their valuation.
 

Strong brands provide faster growth: An analysis of the BrandZ rankings as a 'stock portfolio' over the last nine years shows a highly favourable performance compared to a wider stock market index, the S&P500. While the value of the companies in the S&P500 index grew by 44.7%, the BrandZ portfolio grew by 81.1%, proving that companies with strong brands are able to deliver better value to their shareholders.

Brands from the Western World bounced back with a greater proportion of both the number and value of brands within the top 100. This reflected the resilience of established brands and the breakthrough of new brands, as well as improved economic conditions. As a result, the number of brands from fast growing economies slipped in 2014. China, with 11 brands, continues to have the largest representation. 


Chinese brands grew slower and are in urgent need of internationalisation: The 11 Chinese brands listed in the ranking had a combined value of US$280 billion this year. China's overall brand value was on the rise, but at a slower pace than the global level. Except for technology brands that out-performed, other industries saw significant fluctuations. In a world where brands and technology are becoming increasingly international, going global has emerged as a very urgent task for Chinese brands. Overseas consumers have now begun to associate Chinese brands with being innovative and global, which establishes the foundation for Chinese brands to compete on the international stage. Chinese brands can differentiate themselves through innovation, and gain access to international markets faster at a lower cost by making use of the Internet.

Listed Chinese brands



Rank 
2014
Brand
Category
Brand Value ($M)
Brand Value Change
14
Tencent
Technology
53,615
+97%
15
China Mobile
Telecom Providers
49,899
-10%
17
ICBC
Bank
42,101
+2%
25
Baidu
Technology
29,768
+46%
33
China Construction Bank
Bank
25,008
-7%
54
Agricultural Bank of China
Bank
18,235
-9%
67
Sinopec
Oil & Gas
14,269
+9%
68
Bank of China
Bank
14,177  
0%
76
PetroChina
Oil & Gas
12,413
-7%
77
Ping An
Insurance
12,409
+18%
81
China Life
Insurance
12,026
-21%



The BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands report, rankings and a great deal more brand insight for key regions of the world and 13 market sectors are available online here. A new suite of interactive smartphone and tablet applications will also be available for free download via Apple IOS and all Android devices from www.brandz.com/mobile, or search for BrandZ in the respective iTunes or Google Play app stores.