Indonesia-based Gojek is taking its ride-hailing service island-wide in Singapore from today. This follows a successful beta launch in November which covered the southern-central and eastern part of Singapore.
Category: Mobile
Elephone debuts full screen smartphone for US$249
US-based Elephone has announced the PX, which it dubbed “The Most Affordable Full-Screen Smartphone” that is packed with top features for users on a budget.
Zhao becomes 1st female managing director of Samsung Electronics HK
Samsung Electronics HK (SEHK) has appointed Yiyin Zhao as its first female Managing Director. She was previously Vice President & Head of IT and Mobile Communication Business
China bans some Apple iPhone models
Qualcomm has dealt a blow to Apple with Fuzhou Intermediate People’s Court banning the sale of selected iPhone models in China. The move was for the violation of two Qualcomm patents.
OnePlus to launch first 5G smartphone in the UK
OnePlus has fired the first salvo in the 5G race. At a Qualcomm event in Hawaii, the China smartphone maker announced its intention to launch its first 5G handset in the United Kingdom.
Global wearable market to grow 26% in 2019
Worldwide shipment of wearable devices will touch 225 million in 2019, an increase of 25.8 percent from 2018, according to Gartner.
Smartphone and feature phone neck-to-neck in India
For the first time, the smartphone market is on par with the feature phone market in India, according to IDC. Overall, the India market reached 42.6 million units for a 9.1 percent year-on-year growth in Q3.
SoftBank targets US$21b mobile IPO
Japanese conglomerate SoftBank plans to raise US$21 billion for its mobile telecommunications unit, making it the world’s biggest IPO since Alibaba in 2014.
The SXFI Amp: Creative’s 2nd coming?
By Edward Lim
Spending three days manning a booth in an IT show can take a toll on the body and mind. What more a constant repetitive blasting of sound from a booth just across the aisle. The vendor was an up and coming Singapore company called Creative Technology. The product was the Sound Blaster.
Global smartphone shipment slides 6% in Q3
Smartphone vendors shipped 355.2 million units in Q3, down six percent from the corresponding quarter last year, according to preliminary estimates by IDC. This is the fourth straight quarter of year-on-year decline.
OnePlus 6T launches with world’s fastest fingerprint display sensor
OnePlus announced OnePlus 6T, its latest smartphone to a hall packed with enthusiasts in New York City on October 29 — one day ahead of schedule to avoid conflicting with an Apple event the next day.
OnePlus deconflicts with Apple launch
UPDATE: Catch the launch live on Youtube at 11pm Singapore time.
OnePlus has brought forward its OnePlus 6T launch to October 29 to avoid a clash with Apple’s iPad Pro and Mac event the next day. The China smartphone maker had been first off the block with the October 30 date but Apple threw a curveball by announcing that its launch event will be on the same day in the same city.
Newstead goes into liquidation
Singapore IT retailer Newstead Technlogies has gone into liquidation. Established in 1998 with its first outlet at Funan DigitalLife Mall, it was supposed to be the anchor tenant when the redeveloped mall re-opens next year.
No more paper arrival card filling for visitors to Singapore
Looking for a pen to fill in an arrival card while travelling to Singapore will be a thing of the past when the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) completes its three-month electronic arrival card for foreign visitors next year.
Qualcomm accuses Apple of IP theft
The legal tussle between Qualcomm and Apple has hit another level with the chipmaker accusing the smartphone giant of passing trade secrets to Intel. An earlier court battle, Qualcomm said that Apple breached an agreement for it to audit Apple’s use of Qualcomm’s source code.
Googles turns 20
By Edward Lim
It may have seemed like forever but Google just celebrated its 20th anniversary today. It’s not even an adult yet by human age but the search giant has grown massively over the past two decades.
Singapore launches unified payment QR code
The number of QR codes for payment is akin to the number of credit card offerings in the market — it keeps growing, making it more of a hassle than convenience for merchants and consumers. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has stepped in to solve this problem with the launch of the Singapore Quick Response (SGQR) Code.
Smartphone prices soaring
The prices of top end smartphones are going through the roof. Apple announced yesterday that its new iPhone XS Max with 512GB of storage will cost a whopping US$1,449.
Pilot develops Rate My Landing app
Pilot John Rood has teamed up with mobile app developer eZoom to come up with Rate My Landing, which allows gamers to learn what it takes to land an aircraft.
China wins battle for AI investments
A battle of sorts is taking place in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). It has been widely reported that China is ramping up its focus on the technology that is expected to transform businesses and industries. Numbers from ABI Research point to a swing in favour of China.
Google Pixel 3 coming on October 9
The rumour mills are spinning at top speed as smartphone launch season gets ready to kick off. With Samsung having announced the Note 9, and Apple expected to respond with a new iPhone next month, Google looks to be getting into the act too with the Pixel 3 slated for an October 9 introduction, according to Bloomberg.
Apple pulls out 25,000 apps from China app store
The ongoing spat between China and the US seem to have claimed another victim. Apple has removed 25,000 gaming-related apps from its China app store. This move follows hard on the heels of the US ban on Huawei and ZTE technology from being used by the US government and government contractors yesterday.
Free WhatsApp backup on Google Drive
WhatsApp backup will no longer count towards Google Drive storage quota, thanks to a new agreement between the two companies.
Seamless Spotify listening experience across Samsung devices
Spotify has joined hands with Samsung to give users a seamless listening experience across Samsung devices.
StatX takes on Telegram with messaging and information app
Blockchain startup StatX has launched a mobile app that combines information-sharing and messaging features the crypto and blockchain community. While traditional messaging apps such as Telegram is more conversation centric than information-centric.
TSMC hit by computer virus
Chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) was affected by a computer virus attack over the weekend. However, the manufacturing of new Apple iPhones is not expected to be impacted.
VLC blacklists recent Huawei smartphones
VLC has taken the drastic measure of blacklisting recent Huawei smartphones, specifically the Huawei P8, P10, and P20, from installing its media player app. The move is in response to negative customer reviews for VLC as a result of Huawei blocking the installation of the media player.
Chrome marks http as “not secure”
HTTP has been synonymous with an entire generation of Internet users but what many are unaware is that the protocol is not secured. Anyone with the right skills can change the contents of the site before it reaches the person browsing. To combat this, Google is marking all HTTPsites as “not secure” from today so users are more aware of the sites’ security status.
Samsung and Xiaomi neck-to-neck in India in Q2
Xiaomi and Samsung shipped 9.9 million smartphones each to India in Q2. Together they account for 60 percent of the total shipment that quarter, according to Canalys.
EU fines Google 4.3b euro
However you look at it, the amount is massive! The European Union (EU) has slapped Google with a 4.3 billion euro fine for blocking its rivals from Android.
Google Maps motorcycle mode now available in Singapore
Google Maps has enabled its motorcycle mode feature for Singapore and elsewhere in the region in due time. Originally launched in India in December 2017, the app will give motorcyclists routes that are more suitable for two-wheelers.
Consortium introduces standard to simplify VR headset connectivity
NVIDIA, Oculus, Valve, AMD, and Microsoft have come together to introduce VirtualLink, an open standard that simplifies next-generation virtual reality (VR) headset connectivity to PCs and other devices. Instead of a range of cords and connectors, the new standard adopts the single, high-bandwidth USB Type-C connector.
Oppo A5 debuts in China
Oppo has introduced the Oppo A5, its latest mid-range smartphone in China.
OnePlus 6 red arrives in Singapore
The wait’s finally over! The much-lauded OnePlus 6 smartphone is now available in Singapore. Better yet, there’s the red edition as well.
Xiaomi share price dips on debut
The long awaited Xiaomi listing made an impressive debut — dropping 2.9 percent on its opening day in Hong Kong. Priced at HK$17.00 at launch, the share price dipped to HK$16.50 in early trading.
HTC to slice 1,500 from workforce
Taiwan smartphone maker HTC is making a cut of the most painful kind — by slicing 20 percent of its workforce. The decision to swallow the bitter pill comes in the wake of heavy losses and strong competition.
Myanmar startup Goama launches mobile gaming app in India
Myanmar startup Goama has launched its “Netflix of Games” mobile gaming subscription app in India. Called Go|Games, the Android app has more than 700,000 subscribers in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
ELSA Speak helps in English pronunciation
Artificial intelligence (AI) startup ELSA is giving non-native English speakers help with ELSA Speak, an app that teaches how to pronounce English words correctly.
Qualcomm targets kids with Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform
Qualcomm is targeting smartwatches for children with its Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform. Announced at Mobile World Congress Shanghai, the chip is designed to deliver extended battery life, low power location tracking and an optimised version of Android for kids.
Epicentre exits Apple business in Singapore
Epicentre Holdings has sold its Apple business in Singapore — both online and retail stores — to competitor Elush (T3), marking the end of an era.
Microsoft to launch pricey USB-C dongle for Surface
The cost of having thinner and lighter devices can be really high. The compromise is the absence of jacks and ports that users often take for granted. To get that needed port, users have to pay a hefty price. In the case of the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface laptop, a soon-to-be-launched USB-C dongle will cost US$79.99, according to The Verge.
OnePlus 6 crosses 1m mark in 22 days
Twenty-two days. It took relatively unknown smartphone maker OnePlus just that amount of time to sell one million units of OnePlus 6, its latest smartphone.
App to teach children responsible mobile device usage
Help is at hand for parents who need help in teaching their young children the dos and don’ts of using smartphones and other mobile devices. They can now turn to Tittle for Parents, an app that lets parents protect their children on mobile devices and teach about safe and appropriate use.
Giant notebook and graphics card spotted at Computex
By Edward Lim
Computex seems to have mellowed down over the years. While the show floor used to be filled with booth girls and exhibitors literally pushing bags and tchoichke in the past, this is no longer the case.
Huawei and Xiaomi lead smartphone growth in Q1
China smartphone makers Huawei and Xiaomi grew strongest as the market recovered in Q1, according to Gartner.
Power efficient chipsets to drive edge AI
Power efficient chipsets are set to be the main driver as artificial intelligence (AI) moves makes a significant shift from the cloud to the edge, according to ABI Research.
Apple douses Steam’s plan to put app into iPhone
Online game distributor Steam’s attempt to release the free Steam Link app for iPhones has hit a roadblock from Apple.
Bigger yet smaller with NVIDIA Max-Q
Razer has unveiled a new version of its Razer Blade gaming notebook that sports a bigger screen, smaller bezel and the NVIDIA Max-Q design, an innovative approach to designing the world’s thinnest, fastest, and quietest gaming laptops.
Google puts vehicle icons on Google Maps for iOS
Do you find the vehicle icons in Uber or Grab apps interesting? Well, iOS users can now enjoy the same feature on their iPhones.
Cryptocurrency and Carry
Singapore-headquartered Carry is teaming up with Spoqa of South Korea to bring cryptocurrency payment and blockchain-enhanced loyalty points to brick-and-mortar retailers.
India smartphone market posts strongest Q1 shipment
The India smartphone market shipped 30 million units in Q1, the strongest Q1 performance ever and an 11-percent growth year on year, according to IDC.
ZTE gets reprieve from US President
ZTE looks like it’s getting a chance to resurrect its business, thanks to help from the highest office in the United States. Last week, the China telecom giant announced that it had to cease business activities because of US sanctions on critical components.
ZTE ceases activities
ZTE has hit a massive roadblock that has resulted in the cessation of its business operations. China’s number 2 telecom equipment maker was hit by the US’s seven-year blockade to vital components needed for its devices.
Xiaomi to list in HK
Xiaomi, one of China’s biggest smartphone makers, has picked Hong Kong for its public listing.
Coming soon: WhatsApp group call
Conference calls is coming to WhatsApp! While group chats have been around for a while, the messaging app will be adding group voice call in the coming months, according to Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook at his keynote address at F8 developer conference.
Xiaomi bucks trend as China smartphone market dips in Q1
In a quarter when the China smartphone market experienced it biggest ever decline, Xiaomi bucked the trend and grew 37 percent to 12 million units, according to Canalys.
Xiaomi tops India smartphone market in Q1
Building on a momentum of 155 percent annual shipment growth in India last year, Xiaomi started Q1 at the top with a whopping nine million plus units to snag 31 percent market share, according to Canalys.
Gaming and VR focus at Computex
With the global gaming market expected to touch US$128.5 billion in 2020, this year’s Computex will have gaming and virtual reality (VR) as a focus area, alongside artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, blockchain, Internet of Things, and innovations and startups.
Friday the 13th launches on Friday the 13th
Blue Wizard Digital waited and waited for this day — Friday the 13th — to release its game Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle worldwide on iOS, Android, and Steam.
Doogee unleashes 4 innovative smartphones
Shenzhen-based Doogee is not one for the humdrum. While most other smartphones sport mostly similar technologies, this maker has decided to go for the different feel with four new phones — the transparent Doogee TT, flip camera Mix 3, slide phone Mix 4, and flexible screen phone.
Entelechy Asia 