Tag Archives: app

New Features in Waze, New Experiences on Waze

October 8, 2020 Leeden Tang Leave a comment

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Android, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Now You can Have Your Own BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport, Just Use Your Smartphone!

July 23, 2020 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

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.

Android, Health, iOS, Mobile, News

[COVID-19] Australia is Next in Launching COVID-19 Contact Tracing App

April 27, 2020 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

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.

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.

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.

Source: Department of Health (Australia), Engadget

Mobile, News

Screen Lock comes to Netflix on Android

April 23, 2020 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Watching Netflix on your mobile device is one of the many conveniences that online streaming brings. However, there is nothing worse than having your viewing experience being disrupted by an accidental touch or if someone touches your screen. Netflix knows this too! That’s why the company is introducing a new feature: screen lock.

The new Screen Lock feature has apparently silently made its way to the Netflix app on Android. It essentially makes the screen irresponsive when touched while you’re watching shows – as the name suggests. This feature is a welcomed addition for users who, like many of us at techENT, tend to watch shows on our tablets or smartphones.

Enabling screen lock removes the whole Netflix UI. This includes the play and pause button, timeline scrubber and replaces it with a lock icon. You will need to double tap the lock to get back the regular Netflix UI. As of writing this story, the feature has yet to make it to iOS.

The new feature comes on the heels of Netflix’s announcement of enhanced parental controls. The enhanced controls were introduced as a way for parents to be more at ease with their children using the app as the world deals with the current pandemic.

Mobile, News

Touch n’ Go RFID Now Available for MYR 35 Nationwide!

February 6, 2020 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

18 months ago, Touch n’ Go Sdn. Bhd. started something quite radical for the transportation industry in Malaysia. It is not what you would call unthinkable or unheard of. It has been done before, albeit outside of Malaysia. The new application within Malaysian road have been also widely know to be used in plenty of applications with unmatched reliability and accuracy; baggage sorting and handling in the airports for example.

If you were thinking of RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification); yes we are talking about RFID. The title should have given it away anyway. Touch n’ Go Sdn. Bhd., in collaboration with Touch n’ Go Digital, launched the RFID pilot program. According to Touch n’ Go, the program gave out about million RFID tags to residents of Klang Valley. The program also extends its acceptance across Klang Valley’s 22 highways through its 18 months Pilot program. Late last year, extending into this year, the RFID acceptance extends to selected toll gates across the North-South Expressway.

In short, the program was a successful one. That is the test covered; so what is next? A full rollout of course.

That also means that RFID tags are now available for purchase via installation centres across the nation. You no longer have to make extensive applications through the website and wait for approval from Touch n’ Go to install the RFID tags to your cars, for a price. Not expensive though at MYR 35. Compare that to a new Smart TAG device at MYR 150 each. To use the devices you also have to get a new Touch n’ Go card for MYR 10.

The RFID tag works with an eWallet – the Touch n’ Go eWallet. You do not need a Touch n’ Go card anymore with the RFID tags. Well, you might still want to keep one as a back up; just in case. All you have to do is to ensure you have enough credits in the Touch n’ Go eWallet, pass through an RFID lane, and you’re through. Keep a good distance with the car in front of you though, and a reasonable speed (30 km/h) and below.

Of course RFID will not just stop at the 22 toll gates in Klang Valley. They are rolling out to even more toll gates across the nation through 2020 and beyond. Touch n’ Go is also looking to use RFID beyond the public roads. They are looking at installing it and using it for parking, paying for petrol, and more.

RFID is more than just what you see on the surface though. Touch n’ Go Sdn. Bhd. can now do real-time traffic analysis and tracking. These data can be shared across multiple platforms or even the authorities for traffic planning and tracking. It is all a part of a smarter and more digital Malaysia.

Touch n’ Go’s RFID tags will be available for purchase at MYR 35/tag from 15^th February onward. You do have to ensure that you have the Touch n’ Go eWallet app on your smartphones first though; the RFID tags are tied to your eWallet. From the 15^th February 2020 to 15 April 2020 40 lucky winners will walk away with MYR 2,500 worth of Toll Pass credited in their eWallet.

The Touch n’ Go eWallet app is available for free on Android and iOS via Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store respectively. For more information on the Touch n’ Go RFID program you can head over to their website.

Mobile, News

Skip the Queue at PETRONAS, Setel on Your Smartphone!

February 5, 2020 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Any drivers knows the pain of driving. Traffic jam? No, not really. There is one very big inconvenience whenever you take out your car.

Put it this way; your car needs energy to run. For electric cars, you need a battery pack to store energy for the car. While you can do that at home, you need to get your car plugged in still. It will take forever to charge too.

While electric cars may not be too clever of an investment in Malaysia at this time, the traditional internal combustion engines with traditional fossil fuels are the way to go. The inconvenience is that you have to keep your tank topped up when it runs out, a 5 minute ordeal at times.

Most of the time though its just 5 minutes that you spend in the fueling station. You tend to spend more than 15 minutes in the fueling station. At times you have to wait for a pump to free up when there is too many people at the station. Once that’s done, you have to queue up to pay for your fuel at the kiosk. To skip that, you can use your debit/credit card at the pump. If you use a debit card though, the vendor first takes MYR200 from your account before you even start doing anything.

What if there is a better solution. Since every other person in Malaysia has been going on and on about eWallet, why not use these apps to pay for fuel, from inside the car; ‘Setel’ it there and then.

Welcome to the world of Setel, an eWallet app that is specialised in handling all your fuelling needs. With Setel, it really is just 5 minutes in the fuelling station, not 15 minutes.

The moment you get to the fueling station, all you need to do is to pull up to an available pump, whip out the smartphone, open Setel app, choose the pump you are at, enter the amount that you would like to fuel, and voila, your pump is ready. Of course you need to make sure you still have credits in the app wallet. For that, you can use your credit/debit card with no fuss. If you need to find a petrol station near you, the app will help you find it too.

While the app has existed for about a year now, the app was only readily useable in the Klang Valley region and was in Beta mode. Now though, the app is fully launched as a full running app. The app will not just stop at the pumps though. They are working closely with PETRONA Malaysia to release more features within their petrol pumping stations like purchasing items in PETRONAS Mesra shops or partnering vendors, with collection at the station.

Speaking of Mesra, you can connect you Mesra card to the app and collect points automatically as you use the app. While in Beta you could not redeem the points in your Mesra card through the app now though, you can. The Setel app is the one stop shop for all fueling needs in PETRONAS.

The Setel app is now available for free on Google’s Play Store for Android and Apple App Store of iOS devices. You can use Setel app in over 700 PETRONAS fuelling stations across the nation. For now, there is no other vendors that accepts payment via the Setel app. There is also currently an MYR 200 cap within the app. No matter though, you can now tell your friends that you are actually ‘setel-ing’ some business as your late excuse. More information on the Setel app on their website.

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