WhatsApp reaches 800 million monthly active users

WhatsApp reaches 800 million monthly active users


Mobile messaging service WhatsApp now has 800 million monthly active users, CEO Jan Koum has revealed in a Facebook post.

SINGAPORE - Mobile messaging service WhatsApp now has 800 million monthly active users, CEO Jan Koum has revealed in a Facebook post.

The app had about 600 million users when Facebook acquired it last year, and it announced that it had reached 700 million users in January this year.

At this rate of expansion, it will reach a billion users by the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal predicted.

 

In a dig at other messaging services, which often report registered users only, Mr Koum added: "Reminder for the press out there: active and registered users are not the same thing."

Facebook messenger is second to WhatsApp with about 600 million monthly active users, making the company the owner of the two largest messaging services in the world.

 

Google revolutionises search to help mobile users

Google revolutionises search to help mobile users



Google search will start factoring in how easy websites are to read on smartphones or tablet computers, underlining the changing way people surf the Internet

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Google search on Tuesday will start factoring in how easy websites are to read on smartphones or tablet computers, underlining the changing way people surf the Internet.

The web titan said that the "mobile-friendliness" of websites will be a factor in ranking results to online searches done using mobile devices.

"As people increasingly search on their mobile devices, we want to make sure they can find content that's not only relevant and timely, but also easy to read and interact with on smaller mobile screens," a Google spokesman told AFP.

The change will affect mobile Internet searches in all languages worldwide and was expected to have a "significant impact" on results to queries, Google said in a February blog post heralding the move.

Lost your Android phone? Now Google can help you find it

Lost your Android phone? Now Google can help you find it




SINGAPORE - Google's search bar is a calculator, translator and currency convertor, and now it can also find your Android phone.

Just type in "Find my phone" in Google's search engine on the computer, and it will display a map that zeros in on the missing Android phone or tablet.

When I tried it, it located my phone "accurate to 17 metres", but it took a few seconds to load.

For it to work, the user has to have the latest version of the Google app installed on their phone, and be signed into the same Google account on their smartphone or tablet and their computer.

Google made the announcement on Wednesday on its social media platform Google+: "We've all been there - you've searched under your car seat, tossed around the sofa cushions and you still can't find your phone.

If you know where your computer is, you can now ask Google to find your Android phone from your desktop.

If the pesky phone is hiding nearby, Google can ring it for you - or you can see it on the map if you, say, forgot it at the bar.

Just make sure you've got the latest version of the Google app installed on your device!?"

3 easy ways to get free accommodation when you travel

3 easy ways to get free accommodation when you travel

Freelance television producer Mariana Ahmad (second from right), who spent six months backpacking and couchsurfing across Europe, is seen here in Turkey with fellow couchsurfers from Turkey and America.

Most of the cheap or free accommodation options out there require you to slave away on an organic farm for 10 hours a day, share a room with ten sweaty backpackers or commit to being a caretaker for months on end.

If that doesn't exactly sound like your idea of fun, here are a couple of painless ways to enjoy cost-free accommodation.

1. Use your frequent flyer miles
The problem with trying to amass frequent flyer miles is that if you just don't have that many, you could end up only being able to redeem a ticket to KL or Bangkok.

What's the point of wasting your precious air miles on a Singapore Airlines ticket to KL?

You'd probably end up paying more in taxes than a ticket on a budget airline would cost.

If you're in the situation where you don't have enough points to redeem a meaty flight with, you have the perfect excuse to use them to redeem hotel stays.

Now, while the KrisFlyer programme doesn't permit you to use your miles to pay for hotel stays, other programmes such as KLM's Flying Blue do.

At the moment, 25,000 Flying Blue miles, about the equivalent of a return flight to Thailand, can get you a night's stay at at five star hotel.

2. Go on a free meditation retreat
If your whole objective for going on holiday is to relax and get your zen on, a free meditation retreat will let you achieve your that at almost no cost.

Many temples or monasteries will feed and house participants of their meditation retreats and courses free of charge, although donations are appreciated.

All you have to do is to shut up and turn off that damned smartphone, which come to think of it might be easier said than done.

Doi Supthep Vipassana Meditation Centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand runs meditation courses ranging from 4 to 21 days.

Brahmavihara Arama Buddhist Temple in Bali conducts short and long meditation retreats.

Many ashrams in India such as Sri Ramanasramam located south of Chennai, offer accommodation for a small donation, although you might be required to attend their courses, which can range from just a few hours a day to hardcore full day affairs.

3. Couchsurf
This is far and way the most popular way to get free accommodation on the road.

Depending on your personality, it can be a chore liaising with hosts and not having as much personal space as you would in a hotel.

Or it can be a great way to meet and hang out with locals, who can at the very least clue you in on where all the best eats in town are.

Some hosts might give you the keys to their homes and let you come and go as you please, while others will show you around, introduce you to their friends and even loan you their pets.

You never really know what sort of experience you're going to end up with. If that sounds appealing to you, definitely give it a shot.

Some of my most memorable travel memories were made thanks to couchsurfing, and no, I haven't been murdered yet.

Here are some websites that facilitate the process :-

Couchsurfing, the original website and still the most popular

Global Freeloaders

Hospitality Club
 

Tony Fernandes ‘an old-fashioned guy’ when it comes to investmen

Tony Fernandes ‘an old-fashioned guy’ when it comes to investmen




















APRIL 15 — Expect a difficult time when trying to convince Tan Sri Tony Fernandes to invest in a startup if it doesn’t have a conventional business model, where the near to medium-term priority may not be about generating cash-flow or growing your bottom-line.

Many startups, especially in recent years, have been building their business by focusing mainly on growing their user base and market share. Facebook, WhatsApp and Uber managed to successfully raise funds in their early days, despite operating at a loss.

Their investors, comprising venture capital firms, angel investors and technology companies, believed that monetisation would not be a major issue once their investee companies had built a strong base of users.

“I am an old-fashioned guy — I like things to be cash-flow positive within a certain period,” Fernandes told the media at the launch of Tune Labs in Kuala Lumpur last week.

“Personally, I don’t believe in that kind of a business model. I think you do have to be profitable — but, you know, we have to look at each individual case,” said the cofounder and group chief executive officer of budget carrier AirAsia Bhd, a subsidiary of the Tune Group.

Although Fernandes, also the cofounder of startup incubator and accelerator Tune Labs, may be seen as a new player in the technology space, he is no stranger when it comes to investing in new businesses.

In fact, some of the businesses he or Tune Group — which he also cofounded — has invested in, came as a result of entrepreneurs pitching their ideas to him.

“Tune Talk was not my idea. It was Jason Lo’s idea. We funded him. He created Tune Talk,” said Fernandes. “Over the years, we have created a lot of entrepreneurs.”

Lo is chief executive officer of Tune Talk, one of the largest mobile virtual network operators or MVNOs in Malaysia when it comes to number of subscribers.

Tune Group itself has diversified businesses. Besides Tune Talk, it also has investments in Tune Hotel, Tune Money, Tune Ins, Tune Studios, Tune Box, AirAsia, and others.

For now, Tune Labs, also backed by AirAsia cofounder Kamarudin Meranun and ECM Libra cofounder Lim Kian Onn, is not funded by Tune Group directly.

However, should Tune Labs need additional funds, Fernandes had said he may consider getting Tune Group or AirAsia to participate. “That will be something to be discussed by the board of directors.”

MyTeksi spurned
Despite his entrepreneurial pedigree, Fernandes understands that funding and growing technology or digital startups is a different ball game.

“It’s not like setting up a financial services or telecommunications company,” he said. “You need to make sure that the platform is ready.”

Tune Labs would need to make sure that the successful startups from its incubator programme have the necessary support to turn their ideas into commercially viable products. This includes support in the form of office space, funding, administrative tasks, and legal resources.

While Fernandes said that the motivation for launching Tune Labs was mainly the three cofounders’ desire to see more successful entrepreneurs emerging from South-East Asia, one can’t help but wonder if it was also spurred by a missed opportunity.

“If we have been a bit earlier …,” Fernandes said. “For instance, MyTeksi approached us, but we weren’t ready for that.

“We weren’t a venture capital fund and we didn’t have the infrastructure, so we missed out on that,” he said at the Tune Labs launch last week. “MyTeksi would have been a perfect partnership.”

Malaysian-founded MyTeksi, now known as GrabTaxi, has since secured a total of about US$340 million (RM1.2 billion) in funding, and recently launched a research and development (R&D) centre in Singapore, where its holding company is now based.

It said it would be investing US$100 million in the R&D centre in the next two to three years.

Although Fernandes may have missed out on the MyTeksi partnership, he is nevertheless optimistic about “unleashing the full potential of South-East Asian entrepreneurs.”

“When I travel around South-East Asia, I notice a tremendous amount of entrepreneurial zest in the region — so I don’t think we [the region] will be short of ideas,” he said.

Different from the pack
Many startup incubators and accelerators have recently mushroomed in South-East Asia.
In Malaysia alone, these include such ventures by MAD Incubator, Malaysian Technology Development Corp, 1337 Accelerator, Technology Park Malaysia Corp, the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC), and many more.

But Fernandes believes that there is space for Tune Labs to play a role in the regional ecosystem. “I don’t think there is ever enough. Compared with the United States, we are nothing,” he said.

He believes that Tune Labs will still be able to attract talented entrepreneurs because it brings something different to the table — after all, Tune Labs’ tagline is ‘For Entrepreneurs, By Entrepreneurs.’

“The key difference is the [Tune Group or AirAsia] ecosystem,” Fernandes said.

“Most incubators and accelerators … promise [essentially] the same thing — office space, access to capital, and a support system. But if you look at the challenge most startups face, it is how to get the product out to customers quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.

“With [our] ecosystem — whether it is 50 million passengers, the people who are staying at the 45 Tune Hotels worldwide, or those who buy travel insurance — we can reach out to them, and market to them almost immediately,” he declared.

“That’s our big differentiation.”

Tune Labs entrepreneurs will also have the opportunity to tap into the three cofounders’ networks, Fernandes said.

“Because AirAsia and Tune Group have a lot of partners, we have built strong relationships with many companies.

“So if [entrepreneurs] come to me and say that they want to see ‘someone,’ they have a better chance of seeing that ‘someone’ through us than by themselves.

It’s just one phone call or one email away. 

“We can open many doors to [our] entrepreneurs,” he declared.
— DNA
 

Following friends becomes top reason for using social networks

Following friends becomes top reason for using social networks



According to an international study published by GlobalWebIndex, social networks are primarily used to follow friends' activity and stay informed.

The market research firm polled social network members on their activity and it turns out that above all, what they are seeking is information, whether it is about current events in general or their friends' activity, and in the end, few are inclined to share their private lives.

Top 10 reasons people use social networks

1. 55% mainly log on to stay in touch with their friends and follow their activity;

2. 41% primarily use social networks to keep up with current events in areas that interest them;

3. 41% simply connect to kill time;

4. 39% focus on finding amusing content, in the form of articles as well as photos and videos;

5. 39% regularly share their opinions and comment on current events;

6. 38% use these avenues to share photos and videos with their friends;

7. 36% connect because their friends are there;

8. 33% simply maintain their network;

9. 32% use social networks to meet new people;

10. 27% regularly post about their everyday lives.

This study was performed by GlobalWebIndex, which every quarter polls more than 40,000 web users, aged 16 to 64, from 32 countries around the world.
– AFPRelax news, April 8, 2015.
 

7 ways to protect yourself against credit card fraud

7 ways to protect yourself against credit card fraud





These days, most of us use our credit or debit cards for daily transactions. It doesn't matter if the purchase is as large as a flight booking or as low as a single bottle of green tea - we pull out our cards because it's fast and convenient.


 I mean, who really fumbles around with cash nowadays anyway? Well, yeah, maybe if you're using a vending machine - haven't seen credit card slots on those yet (although I'm sure they exist).


The thing is that we're so used to swiping our cards, buying online, and handing our card to strangers when buying something. None of us ever thinks that something could go wrong - until we become victims of credit card fraud.


So instead of waiting to become a victim of credit card fraud - take action now by following these 7 preventative measures:


1. Activate your new cards
Whenever you receive a new credit card in the mail, don't just let it sit for days along with the rest of your bills and/or junk mail. Take it out, activate it (online or call, whatever is easier for you) and sign the back.


The last thing you want is to lose track of it because in a pile with the rest of your "junk" mail - because we all know where junk mail ends up. And the last thing you want is for your credit card to end up in the hands of someone else.


If you think that someone might not be able to activate it, you'd be surprised - chances are you've got enough personal information floating around online (Facebook?) for someone to write your biography.


Plus, the mail you've just tossed out might have some pretty important data, which leads to item #2.


2. Shred your old credit cards & statements
Throwing away important documents - especially your bank and credit card statements is one of the most dangerous things you can do. You should be filing away such information, not tossing it out.


If you're tired of receiving your mailed statements, most banks now offer e-statements, which are easier to manage - just make sure you're practicing good online security habits if you are taking the electronic storage route.


Worst case, if you must toss out such data - shred it first! No, crumpling up such documents isn't enough, nor is tearing or cutting them up with scissors. If you seriously want to protect yourself from thieves who will use your "trash" against you - shred all such documents.


3. Make sure transactions are made in front of you
Whether you're using your credit card at a restaurant, retail establishment, club or bar, make sure you're following your card wherever it goes.
Why?


Because you want to make sure that your card is being swiped at the establishment's cash register and isn't disappearing into someone else's hands (or being used to make purchases while you're not looking).


This tip is especially important when you're travelling abroad as credit card scams (especially credit card "skimming") are becoming more common.


4. Keep all of your receipts and check your statement regularly
It's a hassle, I get that. If you make five or more purchases a day with your credit card, going through a ton of receipts isn't going to be fun business.


However, this is the only 100 per cent sure way to make sure that your credit card is being used ONLY for the purchases you make.


Plus, when you compare your receipts to the amount shown on your credit card statements, you can easily discover, rectify or dispute any charge that seems out of place on your statement.
C
hecking your receipts against your statement is especially useful if you make plenty of online purchases, as you might find price discrepancies between what you agreed to pay online and what's being shown on your statement.


5.  Never give your credit card number out over the phone or through email
Banks, retailers and government organisations will NEVER call or email you asking for your personal information - especially your credit card number!


I don't care if the man or woman on the phone is very nice or the email looks official with the right logo and "legit" template - it's a scam.


Seriously, there's no "what if" when it comes to this one. No legitimate institution will ever ask for your credit card over the phone or in email, ever. So don't do it, not matter how legitimate the call sounds or the email looks.


6. Always inform your bank if you change your address
Moving from one place to another is a huge hassle. But one of the first things you should be doing when you confirm a new rental agreement or home purchase (that you'll move into in 30 days) isn't figuring out which mover you'll choose - but getting your address changes in order.


Your bank should be near or at the top of your list of people and organisations to inform about your new address.


That's because the last thing you want is for your credit card and bank statements to be "lost" in the mail or mailed to your old address where they can end up in anyone's hands.


7. Always use account "alerts" for your credit cards
Do you ever sit at your work desk wishing you could be somewhere else? We all do that. But when your credit card happens to be used in China or the United states and you're still sitting around in Singapore - it's kind of a big hint that your credit card has been compromised.


Thankfully, many credit cards offer "alarms" that send you an SMS or email whenever a charge over a certain amount is made. Some credit cards even offer alerts that send you an SMS/email alert for every charge made on your card.


That's great because it gives you time to call up the credit card issuer and dispute any "funny" charges made to your card.
This article first appeared on MoneySmart