Finding it difficult to search for routes while driving? Waze’s new features are helping drivers to get back on the road safer and faster (Not driving faster, mind you). So far there are seven new features from Waze that is now available in app.
Nearly everyone uses Waze to get to another destination these days (at least in Malaysia). Thanks to users everywhere, Waze is able to partner with municipalities and transit authorities to ease traffic and reduce congestion. The community based app, in some sense, has done more for the motorists than governments.
Source: Waze
Waze will now provide all sorts of new information to drivers before even leaving for a drive. Waze delivers information such as travel times, or even traffic predictions based on past and current driving history. It even gives you personalised recommendations based on your driving data.
Waze can now also show drivers the recent destinations so that drivers would not need to keep searching for an address again within the Waze app. They are now what Waze calls “Front and center” on the app for easy access. No more fumbling with your smartphone in the car.
Source: Waze
The app now also saves Live data for your convenience. Again, using past and current driving and navigation data, even your input, Waze keeps your itinerary for you. That allows you to technically just turn on the app every morning, for example, and start driving to work, wherever it is. The app will also tell you when is the best time to leave for work depending on the conditions on the road on specific days.
It is dangerous for you to work with your smartphone on-the-move, especially when you are driving. You would want to minimise your interaction with the smartphone. Thing is, when your car is running out of fuel, you might panic and start fumbling the device to search for the nearest petrol kiosk. Panic not, quickly open the Waze app and with the quick search, helpful location badges and bubles, including fuel stations will appear to you.
Source: Waze
Lane Guidance is a livesafer in a lot of cases. It is a feature that is long awaited on the ever popular navigation app. The new feature Lane Guidance will tell users which lane to be in to ensure that you do not miss a turning.
2020 is an odd year. With the pandemic situation, it is difficult to not just move around. It is difficult to predict traffic. Waze has somehow improved their brilliant ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) algorithm. That means it is even more accurate in areas with less drivers, and it is better at predicting changes in traffic patterns.
Source: Waze
Source: Waze
The most exciting new feature is the Batman Theme. The Waze users can activate the Batman experience on Waze either selecting the famous voice of Batman (Kelvin Conroy) or The Riddler (Wally Wingert) to let them drive with new experience with English, Portuguese and Spanish until 30 October 2020. The Waze app is a free app available on Android and iOS devices on Google Play Store and Apple App Store respectively.
This year marks 10 years of Apple’s iconic iPad. The Apple iPad was introduced back in 2010 as an alternative Apple experience. To most, it is just an enlarged iPhone. The iPad has evolved to plenty more than just a glorified tablet sized iPhone though. It has become an essential productivity, entertainment, and multitasking tool.
The 7th Generation Apple iPad is also made to be more affordable than ever. This year, the 8th Generation Apple iPad is just as affordable and even more powerful than before. The 8th Generation Apple iPad can now be your full-time work and play partner. The new Apple iPad Air is even more powerful, a powerhouse that you can use as an essential production tool.
The New 8th Generation Apple iPad (2020)
Source: Apple
The new iPad now comes packing a powerhouse in the form of the Apple A12 Bionic 6-core System on a Chip (SoC). While that is not a new SoC, it is still a powerful enough SoC to work with even the latest games from Apple’s App Store.
The A12 Bionic SoC though comes with a Neural Engine, which also means that the Apple iPad comes with a dedicated Machine Learning core for the first time. That also means a clever and instant smart photo editor on the new Apple iPad. The A12 Bionic is also capable of clever motion tracking and analysis that you can use in various settings.
Source: Apple
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That is not all power that the new A12 Bionic boasts though. The A12 Bionic is even more efficient that before too. That also means that the Apple iPad can remain as slim and retain its all-day battery life even with its large 10.2-inch Retina display.
iPadOS 14 on The New Apple iPad
With the latest iPadOS on the new Apple iPad, the Apple Pencil is even more powerful and better than before. Hand-written notes can be converted to typed texts in an instant, as long as your handwriting is clear enough to read. This is especially helpful when you are out in the field and have no surfaces to type on.
The All-New Apple iPad Air
Source: Apple
The Apple ipad Air for 2020 is the most powerful Apple iPad ever with Apple’s brand new SoC. Before we get there though, the Apple iPad Air is even more colourful too at the same time. The Apple iPad Air now comes in 5 different colours now. For the first time ever too, the Apple ipad Air is charged via a USB Type-C port instead of an Apple proprietary Lightning port.
It is also compatible with Apple’s Pencil. In fact, you can attach the Apple pencil to the side of the iPad Air magnetically. The size is also perfect for Apple’s existing magic keyboard attachment. Narrower bezel allows the iPad Air to have an expansive 10.9-inch Retina display though.
The retina display is a beautiful display though. It is a full laminated display with True Tone colours and DCI P3 certification. That also means that the display is perfect for those working in the creative industry. Even if you need it for photo editing on the go, the display will take care of you.
Source: Apple
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The Apple iPad Air for 2020 is also the first Apple device to integrate Apple’s Touch ID with its power button. It also boasts 12-Megapixel main camera out the back and a 7-Megapixel front-facing camera. The main camera is capable of 4K resolution video recording too, just in case you need it. For entertainment purposes, you get stereo speakers that is enabled in landscape mode.
The A14 Bionic Processor
The Apple iPad Air packs Apple’s latest A14 Bionic SoC. It is Apple’s latest, most powerful, and most advanced processor to ever come out of Cupertino. But it is not just Apple’s most advanced SoC to date, it is probably the world’s most advanced mobile processor to date.
The A14 Bionic SoC is the first ever production 5nm consumer grade SoC in the world with 11.8 billion transistors. It is supposed to be more powerful than a modern entry-level notebook. It is 40% more powerful than the A13 Bionic that is currently powering the Apple iPhone XS. It packs 30% more graphical performance compared to the A13 bionic too for what Apple claims to be console level gaming experience. That and 4K video editing capability.
The A14 Bionic SoC also packs a dedicated 16-core neural processor. The more powerful neural processor also allows the new iPad Air to process 11 trillion operations within a second. Thanks to that, machine learning on the iPad Air is even more powerful.
Availability and Pricing
The 8th Generation Apple iPad will be available in the usual Space Grey, Silver, and Gold colour options. There are only two storage variants for the Apple iPad though, 32GB and 128GB variants. The Apple iPad will be available soon in the United States this Friday onward for US$ 329 (WiFi only) and US$ 459 (WiFi + Cellular) onward. There are no official word on Malaysia’s availability though there is already Malaysian pricing. The Apple iPad will be available in Malaysia for MYR 1,449 (WiFi only) and MYR 1,999 (WiFi + Cellular) onward.
The Apple iPad Air, as mentioned comes in 5 different colours. You can choose between Space Grey, Silver, Rose Gold, Green, and Sky Blue Colour options. The Apple iPad Air will be available in the United States market next month onward for US$ 599 (WiFi only) onward and US$ 729 (WiFi + Cellular) onward. There is no official word on Malaysia’s availability. The iPad Air will be available starting from MYR 2,599 (WiFi only) and MYR 3,149 (WiFi + Cellular) onward.
Apple’s highly anticipated September 2020 event just happened last night. Of course, like everything else these days, it happened virtually. If you watched it, it is still pre-recorded, clearly.
The event did not bring a new iPhone though, to Apple iPhone enthusiast’s dismay. Instead the event brought out two stars of the show. The first is what we all saw coming all along – the Apple Watch Series 6.
Apple Watch Series 6
Source: Apple
The Apple Watch Series 6 is, as we all know, is Apple’s latest and greatest in smartwatch technology. For the first time ever, you do not need an Apple iPhon4 smartphone to use and fully work with the Apple Watch. Actually, more about that later.
The new Apple Watch Series 6 comes in three colours, for now. There is the usual Stainless Steel variant, that was so popular since its introduction. There is now a Red and Blue variant to the Apple Watch Series 6. They are made of aluminium of course.
There is a new health sensor too boot as well with the Apple Watch Series 6. It still has an ECG sensor that was hyped about with the Series 5. Additionally, there is a new blood Oxygen sensor that is more accurate than ever. It only takes 15 seconds for you to see what your blood oxygen level looks like. It is a clever little system that analyses the colour of your blood.
Source: Apple
Even when you sleep, the watch is still active. It tracks your sleep data or whatever data it collects anyway and stores it within the fitness app. No it does not send data and exchange its data with a central server. You can be sure that your sleep and fitness data is private. Even if you do not wear it to sleep, it measures data at intervals and stores them within the app for you to view later anyway.
But it is not just on the surface that the Apple Watch gets an upgrade. Within its svelte body is an S6 processing chip that is based on the powerful A13 Bionic architecture. That also means that the Apple Watch is quite a bit more powerful than ever before.
The new processor allows the Apple Watch Series 6 to pack a brighter display on the device while boasting improved battery life performance. The display is now 2.5x brighter than before too, which means there is no need to squint under bright sunlight.
Source: Apple
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The added brightness and outdoor visibility benefit the Always On display function too. The always-on function can now display the alti-meter on full time for you to track your hikes. On top of that, the Apple Watch Series 6 has added fitness functions and cleverer fitness detection. We will talk about that later though.
Apple Watch SE – Still an Apple Watch, but More Affordable
Apple Watch Series 6 too rich for your blood? Do not want a Series 3 either? Then there is the Apple Watch SE.
The Apple Watch SE is everything that the Apple Watch Series 6 is. It is more affordable that the Apple Watch Series 6. That does not mean that you are getting a sub-par product though. You get the same bright display as the Series 6, the same sizes, and the same fittings and finishes. You even get the Apple WatchOS 7 that is supposed to be loaded on the Apple Watch Series 6.
Source: Apple
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There are a few differences still though. You do not get the EKG sensor that was introduced on the Apple Watch Series 5. It packs a similar chipset with the Apple Watch Series 5 though. You also do not get the blood oxygen sensor that the Apple Watch Series 6 gets.
Apple Fitness+
In that front, Apple introduced their new Fitness+ service. The Fitness+ app can be accessed via Apple’s Fitness app. It is technically an additional subscription service for Apple Watch users.
The Fitness+ service is a new service that makes use of your Apple Watch with the rest of your Apple devices. You could make do just with an iPhone and the Apple Watch though, with the Apple Fitness+. You do not even need to be at home to take advantage of Fitness+.
As a subscriber to Fitness+, users gets access to various trainers and exercises virtually. You get new workout challenges, schedules, and even types every week too. Every week you also can get access to new trainers. The trainers and workout types are also recommended based on the data collected by your Apple Watch.
Source: Apple
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The Apple Fitness+ Fitness app service is available now to any Apple iPhone users. The subscription starts from US$ 9.99 a month. If you go for a yearly subscription, you are paying US$ 79.99 a year.
Apple Watch Family
With the new Apple WatchOS 7, Apple Watch users does not have to have their own iPhone anymore. Before you get overly excited though, it does not mean that the Apple Watch is compatible with Android devices though. It just means that you do not need your own Apple iPhone to work with an Apple Watch.
What that means is that you can now connect a few Apple Watch devices to a single Apple iPhone device. That also means that you can connect your kids’ and parents’ Apple Watch devices to your Fitness app. Through the app you have full control over monitoring the locations and activities of the other Apple Watch users in your family.
Availability and Pricing
The Apple WatchOS 7 will be available for mot Apple Watch devices from the series 3 onward by the 17th September 2020. The Apple Watch Series 6 is available in the United States this Friday onward for US$ 399, no word on availability in Malaysia. Prices will start at MYR 1,749 though for Malaysia. The Apple Watch SE is available this Friday in the United States too this Friday onward for US$ 279. No official word on Malaysia’s availability just yet, but it will be priced at MYR 1,199. The Apple Watch Series 3 is also now priced at MYR 849.
The new Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE will also be available with some new strap selections for the Apple Watch. The most interesting strap option they have with the new Watch, to us, is the Solo Loop Strap. The Solo Loop Strap effectively makes your Apple Watch into a slip-on bracelet type fitness tracker. It is available in 7 different colours and two different material types. If also comes in various strap sizes to properly fit differing strap sizes.
Just a few days ago we see BMW launching their BMW X5 xDrive45 M Sport. In that launch they also launched an AR app that allows you to view the car in person via your smartphone. There is something lacking though, you do not get to get into the car.
There is another site that gives you a tour around the car though. They are also giving you a tour inside the car. You can also view other cars, not just a BMW. Welcome to the normal.
The site in reference is WapCar. The function is newly launched though so there are limited resources for now. Still, this is a sign of a new coming of age in the automotive industry.
Sure, you could go to any car manufacturer’s site to customise your car options and see the results of the customisation on a virtual image platform on the website. Technically what you are seeing here is not technically new technology. But you are probably looking at a revolution of an industry in Malaysia.
Source: Merceds-Benz
Customising your vehicle before you buy them is nothing new. You would want to buy a car that you want in specs and equipment list that you want, very normal. Usually, you would go to a showroom to look at the cars, get a feel, get a quotation, decide on what you need in the car, and buy them. Either that, or go to a car show, or exhibition held by showrooms or brands (there is one upcoming one by NAZA, by the way). That is the general norm in Malaysia. Customising cars on websites in Malaysia then, is not very common.
Since the COVID-19 crisis hits globally though, things have changed. We go out less, we are a bit more paranoid with people, we try to not crowd a place, and we also try to avoid contact with other people not in our bubble or even public objects that could be a bridge between you and other people. So, how do we buy things now?
The ‘new normal’ as they call it, sees a big boom in the digital space. Again, they are not technically new technology. Things like Shopee, Lazada, GrabFood, MyGroser, Tesco Online, Lalamove, GrabExpress, FoodPanda, GoGet, and such have existed forever (well; not forever, just for very long time). Thanks to the fact that you do not have to go out to get your food, your shopping, and your groceries done though, these platforms have thrived and we have grown to rely on them more than ever. Online shopping has become a norm.
Source: McLaren
Obviously, some people start thinking; “why does this new normal have to be limited to regular online shopping, delivery, and food services”? They do not. Lazada kicked off the market first with putting Volkswagen and Hyundai on their platform to sell cars, actual cars like the Volkswagen Polo and Hyundai i30. They also innovated a little more with purchasing properties when they partnered with Mah Sing Group. So, why not more of these? Especially with cars.
There is a problem though. Malaysians are not used to looking at cars virtually online. They like to walk around the cars, touch them, feel them, sit in them. We cannot do that now, can we? So online showrooms are the way to go. That way you get to do a ‘walkaround’ and ‘sit in’. The only thing you cannot do is test drive it or hear its engine note. We are pretty sure that the showrooms will not find it to be a problem to arrange for a test drive for you if you do give in a call though. We are certain too that they will follow procedure to properly sanitise the car and wear a mask beside you. You can request that too; no harm in asking.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
So back to virtual showrooms then. WapCar currently has only a few cars in their VR showroom. If you go to their website, you can browse through their catalogue of endless listings that even includes the likes of Bentley, Ferrari, and even McLaren (nope, no VR just yet, we would be excited for that though). As long as you see ‘VR’ pasted on the thumbnail, you can virtually ‘walkaround’ the car at least. There are even fewer cars with VR interior for now. They are slowly rolling out the feature to as many cars they can get their hands on though.
WapCar as a platform does show us what is possible in the new normal. It also shows a sort of alternative for Malaysia’s automotive industry future. Maybe we do not need a physical showroom that takes up huge spaces with not that many things put into it. Maybe all we need is a PC display to show us what we might get in the car. Better yet, maybe all we need is a VR Goggle to see what the car might look like on our driveway, or parking lot.
Source: WapCar
Source: WapCar
What about the showrooms? Why not just have these businesses set up online entirely? That may not seem to be such a bad idea, no? Maybe that also might make your car purchases a little bit more special since you really have to be patient. Who knows, it could be like unboxing your smartphone for the first time, or unwrapping your Christmas gift.
BMW very recently just launched their brand-new car, the X5 xDrive45e M Sport in Malaysia. While this is not BMW’s most expensive car, it is still regarded as one of BMW’s most premium offerings. They call it the ‘Boss’ car.
If you are not yet familiar with BMW’s offerings, the BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport is BMW’s premium SUV offering. The top-of-the-line BMW X5 SUV packs a powerful inline six-cylinder internal combustion petrol engine. The BMW signature engine features forced induction too in the of BMW’s TwinPower Turbo. The 3.0-litre powerhouse pushes 286 hp to the wheels.
This is still a plug-in hybrid vehicle though with an electric motor to keep emissions low while keeping speeds very high. The electric motors produce a mere 113 hp on top of the petrol engine. The combination of the internal combustion engine and the electric motors pushes a total of 394 hp and 600Nm of torque on all four wheels of the BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport. That means a 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds; rapid, in a bulging SUV weighing just over 2.4 tonnes.
Available in four colour offerings, the BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport can be yours on your driveway for MYR 448,800. Or, for free if you have a smartphone, just know that you cannot actually drive it and feel what its like behind the wheel. Just head to the webapp on your smartphone here.
The app is simple really, it is based on Augmented Reality technology, nothing new there. If you remember, not too long ago Google Lens has become quite popular with having strange and exotic animals in your living room. That is the exact thing here, in car format.
Of course, within the app you can customise the car a little bit. You can change the colour, for example. There are some interactive pointers for you to click on too to find out more about the BMW X5. The only thing you do not get to do is drive out in the car.
This is technically a small advancement in car buying experience globally though. You could still go to BMW’s website to customise your car on the website itself. This is just taking it to a new level where you can get to see the car itself in roughly the exact dimensions. What do you think though, should more car manufacturers do this sort of stuff? Comment below.
The digital marketplace in South East Asia is quite a crowded space. In Malaysia itself at least, we have Lazada, Shopee, Lelong, Mudah, and LamboPlace. Now, we have Vettons.
Launched on 7th July 2020, the platform looks to change the whole e-commerce environment in Malaysia. Yes, this is the new e-commerce platform that has been teased on social media. This is the e-commerce platform that is going to “revolutionise” online shopping in Malaysia.
Source: Vettons
Vettons is purely app based, so good luck scrolling through their web store like traditional e-marketplaces. The website will direct you to a download link on Google Play and App Store. Still, it is available for free on both platforms.
A new online marketplace is always a welcome addition in Malaysia though. Still, this is not like any other e-commerce sites like any other though. It is supposed to be cleverer.
Vettons is different because they ensure that their products are off the highest quality. Okay, maybe we are overselling that a little bit. They are just making sure that the products that are sold on their platform are genuine things from their third-party merchants.
That also means you will not see questions of whether items are genuine in the comment sections. Everything is ensured to come from partner brands. In turn, each brand ensures that their products are up to a certain standard, that is quite normal.
Source: Vettons
Of course, like other platforms too, you get the promo items or items with the lowest prices presented to you in the first page. Thing is you need to be shopping or browsing around a little bit for the algorithm to understand your purchase patterns and preferences. We can get into that a little more later.
What is even more interesting is that Vettons promises delivery within 24 hours for each item you buy. This is something that is not offered on most of the platforms in Malaysia. That means if you might need something urgently, Vettons can deliver if they have the item you want that is.
Now we get to the algorithm. They are touting a very clever interface that learns what you do and what you purchase and personalise the shopping experience to you. They are also looking to make the platform more interactive than just you shopping for things. After all, “customer satisfaction” is the main goal.
Source: Vettons
In some sense, what Vettons promises us as potential customers are not technically radical new things. They are looking to make things just a little smarter for us, shoppers. We do appreciate new things though.
Vettons is available for free on Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store now. For more information on Vettons, you can visit their website.
We live in unprecedented times where communities need to support each other to make sure that we all survive what has been a weird roller coaster of a year. One of the worst hit industries has been the food and beverage industry with restaurants losing humongous chunks of their dine-in revenue and paying even more in delivery commissions with delivery partners such as Grab and FoodPanda. Some have reportedly been asked to pay upwards of 20% of their order to these partners.
EatLokal is looking to change that reality by partnering with disruptor brands like MyGroser and Socar to help bolster and support the local restaurant industry. They are working with these services to bring down the cost of delivery for both the restaurants and consumers. In fact, the company is looking to charge only 10% commission on sale for their launch period to help businesses increase sales and get back on their feet. The reason behind the low commission? Simple, they believe that the bulk of the revenue earned through sales of food should stay with restaurants at this time.
While EatLokal is focusing on delivering better value for service to restaurant owners, they aren’t leaving the consumer behind. They are looking to deliver better value for money when it comes to getting the convenience of ordering food. EatLokal is looking to connect us with our favourite local eateries. From the corner store with that deliciously thirst quenching cendol to the savoury chicken rice shop in Bangsar, EatLokal is looking bridge the divide in this time of social distancing while providing a convenience to both patrons and restaurateurs.
“As consumers, we have all felt the pinch of rapid increases in the prices that we pay for food delivery. We know there is a better, fairer way for everyone involved – the restaurants who provide the food and their employees; the delivery teams who do the work of sending the food to consumers; and consumers themselves. EATLOKAL is a community focused effort disruptors from Malaysia’s digital landscape who aim to improve the quality of service, pricing and approach to food delivery services while supporting and protecting our local restaurants, cafes and other food outlets who are working hard to stay open for us,”
Stephen P Francis, CEO of EATLOKAL
EatLokal is teaming up with independent motorcycle delivery teams, private delivery operators and Socar to get the goodies delivered. Socar will be playing a vital role in mobilizing cars as a delivery option.
The service is available in early access on the Apple App Store, GooglePlay Store and also on the internet via their webiste EatLokal.com. They are serving areas across Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, Bangsar, Damansara, Hartamas, Mont Kiara, Tropicana, Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Sunway, Subang Jaya, USJ and their surrounding areas. EatLokal has already teamed up with favourite neighbourhood eateries such as YMT Healthy Vegetarian, W1 Dining & Cocktails, Concubine KL, Asian Rice Pot, The Locker & Loft and The Accidental Bakers. EatLokal is now limiting the delivery radius to a 5 km radius from the outlet. However, they are continually expanding.
WhatsApp introduced their dark mode to their smartphone apps late last year. If you have switched your app to dark mode, good for you. If you have not, you should take a look and maybe never look back. As the saying goes; “once you go black, you’ll never go back”. Before you say anything, we are not implying any racist jokes, it is a sensitive time, we are merely referring to the endless ‘dark mode’ tweaks that have been making its way to smartphones. Going dark is the trend these days anyway.
There is a benefit of going for dark mode in your smartphone apps, other than looking cool and sleek. You get better battery life because black colour consumes less power on your smartphones’ displays. This is especially true for LED based displays. There is a small issue with the Android version of the app though – it is not exactly black. Instead, you get a shade of navy and grey.
Dark mode also helps when you just woke up and look at your smartphone first. It does not blind you or strain your eyes. There is a reason why Blue Light filters make your whites look a little more yellow. White colour strains your eyes quite badly especially indoors and in darker situations. It somehow signals your brains that it is still daylight too when you have white backgrounds on your smartphones, and you read at night.
Somehow, dark mode allows you to have a better time reading on your backlit displays too. You are able to read for longer periods without getting a headache. Again, this may have plenty to do with Blue Lights and better contrasts.
Back to WhatsApp. Ever since WhatsApp introduced dark mode in their smartphone app, the demand for dark mode stuff grew to other apps including Facebook. It even grew so much that people are asking for dark mode PC apps now too. Not only do they look more modern, they look cleaner somehow.
Yesterday is the day that Facebook finally gives what people want, a dark mode on WhatsApp Web and Desktop app. Let me start by saying it looks more like Telegram’s dark mode on your smartphone than anything. Telegram does not even have a dark mode on their web and desktop app. Given, there are more greens on WhatsApp.
It does look more modern and cleaner though. The fonts turn white and the backgrounds are different shades of grey, not exactly black. It somehow transforms the WhatsApp experience. Suddenly WhatsApp does not look like WhatsApp that we knew anymore.
Still, we are digging the new look and will keep this look. Plus, it is still less straining to the eyes. For you to change your WhatsApp Web or Desktop app to dark mode, you just need to get to settings and click on the “theme” option to turn on the inner darkness. Now, on to Facebook’s dark mode on their app.
Web conferencing is all the rage these days. With extended quarantine period at this difficult time, everyone is craving for some form of human interaction after days of being alone at home. Thankfully, technology has our backs.
We can do plenty more than just making calls and sending text messages these days. You still can hang out with your friends in private text groups in WhatsApp or even Telegram. But you can do more than just group texts these days with smartphones.
The power of the internet has frown exponentially over the years. As technology progresses, the demand for data increases and that is how we get to the 5G data technology today. The power of high-speed internet also made it possible for us to connect with other people around the globe like never before. Yes, we are talking about video calling.
On Apple’s exclusive FaceTime app, you can do a video call with more than 10 people at one time. Sometimes you do not need to have that many people on one call, but it is nice to know you can. On the world popular Zoom app, you can do it with up to 100 people for free, at a limited time of course. You can even do a video call with four people at a time using WhatsApp.
There is one very popular chat app that we have been using that does not have the video call function just yet though. That app is Telegram.
We like Telegram for several reasons. You do not need to work with elaborate processes to get your messages saved from one device to another. It works on multiple devices at one time too, so you do not have to stick to only one device at a time. But we cannot do video calls with the app, bummer.
If you are a Telegram user, you might not have to be too bummed out for long though. Telegram is looking to be bringing their long awaited and highly requested video calling function in 2020. There are no mentions yet on when we will start seeing the function on our smartphones though, soon we hope.
Still, Telegram is more than just an alternative text messenger app. It has developed and reinvented itself multiple times to be a lot more than just a texting platform. To know more about Telegram and its development, you can check out their blog.
About two weeks ago, a certain Cupertino based firm and a Mountain View tech giant decided to team up to create something that the world really needs. Apple and Google have decided that they are collaborating to create a framework for contact tracing apps. Singapore responded soon after with a contact tracing app that they are distributing in their own region, ‘TraceTogether’ they call it.
Source: ABC Australia
Following that is Australia, launching their own COVIDSafe app on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The app is based on Singapore’s TraceTogether app, which is fundamentally is a voluntary app for users. Basically, the app will allow your device to communicate with other smartphone devices within a certain radius, a sort of “digital handshake”.
It uses your device’s Bluetooth data to trace proximity with another person. Once that is established, the app cross checks your contact list and its own servers to identify infected persons. The app will then notify users if they have been in contact with an infected person for longer than 15 minutes.
There are some security concerns over this of course. You are allowing your smartphone to share its contact information with a server and another device via Bluetooth, which is less than ideal. Still, it will only share these data when you allow the app to do so. The app will also ask for your consent to share your data if you are an infected person or if you have been infected. There are also concerns about more data being shared out with external parties and governments.
Department of Health (Australia)
The Australian government have dismissed that claims and assured its people that the app, though public and open in nature, is secure and save. Any technology that could help with the fight against COVID-19 is a welcome addition after all.
Germany is on a different approach to contact tracing though. Like Google and Apple’s approach to contact tracing, they are prioritising a little bit more privacy. Instead of storing data in a centralised sever, the app will store data only on its devices. We have not seen any implementations on that just yet though, including Google and Apple’s attempt. We should see it soon, and we are quite excited.
For now, we can only wait and see if the app helps or not. Although, in the case of Malaysia, the Movement Control Order has helped with the local efforts in the fight against the virus. Do we still need the app then? What do you think? Let us know in the comments section.
