500 Startups, an accelerator program founded by Dave McClure, has just announced their latest batch of 33 startups. Asia’s representatives includes Cubie from Taiwan and Cinemacraft from Japan. For the first time, 500 Startups utilised an open application process where interested startups can apply to be part of the program through AngelList. Prior to this,...
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Google recently launched the new chatbox like compose feature for Gmail, its e-mail service used by millions of users. While many liked the fresh new popup that comes up on the side when you compose an e-mail, many were a confused.
The reason for all the confusion? Some of the familiar elements like the Subject line weren’t easy to find when replying to an e-mail. It does not work well in few browsers, is another common complaint.
In case, you would like to roll back to the ‘good ol’ style, follow these steps:
How to turn new compose off?
1. Click on Compose.
2. At the bottom right, click on the arrow pointing downwards
3. Select the option to switch back to old compose.
Can’t find the subject line when replying or forwarding e-mail?
This one is a bit tricky. People often forward e-mails to new people and want to change the subject line before doing that. But wait, where’s the subject line?
After clicking forward, click on the arrow just before the “to” field and chose to start a new conversation. The subject line appears here.
Bcc and Cc are a little tough to find but its there alright. 
You can click and drag contact names to juggle them from one field to the other. Like if you need to move a sender to “cc” from the “to” field, just click and drag. Overall, it looks like a very friendly way of sending e-mails on mobiles and tablets.
Recommended Read: Outlook.com : A Not so Hot mail yet?
500 Startups, an accelerator program founded by Dave McClure, has just announced their latest batch of 33 startups. Asia’s representatives includes Cubie from Taiwan and Cinemacraft from Japan. For the first time, 500 Startups utilised an open application process where interested startups can apply to be part of the program through AngelList. Prior to this,...
The post Asia’s Cubie and Cinemacraft among 33 companies for fifth 500 Startups batch appeared first on e27.
As part of yet another drive to make Sina Weibo more “honest,” the company has upgraded its real-name verification system once again. In a report on its own site, Sina claims the system finally supports legit real name verification for overseas users. While it’s possible that different systems have been implemented in different countries, we found that in the US, Sina Weibo was willing to register a new user whose real name was listed as “Tech in Asia” and whose passport number was “123456789.” Sina’s verification system also failed for already registered overseas users; refusing to accept my actual name but being totally willing to accept that I was Zhuge Liang and that my passport number was (again) 123456789. So we’re thinking that Sina still isn’t taking overseas registration all that seriously.
Now Sina thinks that my real name is Zhuge Liang. Perhaps I should have used a test account for this instead…
Interestingly, Sina has also changed the default login credential from an email address to a phone number, although users can still register with an email address if they choose by clicking on a link. That’s a good thing for overseas users, because Sina still doesn’t recognize any overseas numbers; phone numbers must be 11 digits and begin with 12, 13, 14, 15, or 18 (i.e., they must be Chinese mobile numbers) to work in the system. And while we’re piling on Sina for not making any real attempt to serve overseas users, there’s still no support for English or any other foreign languages. Perhaps that’s why Sina’s system won’t accept names that aren’t written in Chinese characters; the company still has no interest in catering to any other demographics.
As of today, Sina reports that it has more than 520,000 verified users, which isn’t a very impressive number at all given that the company claims more than 300 million registered users. In fact, it’s such an unimpressive number that I have to wonder if perhaps it wasn’t a typo in the report or something. After half a year of campaigning to get people to verify their accounts with their real identities, has the turnout really been this dismally low?
Weibo’s system has also been upgraded in other ways, including a new feature that allows users to report falsely-verified users. Sina has promised that it will punish users abusing its real-name verification system harshly, and in an online poll asking users what punishment they preferred, most users chose “revoke their user verification.”
Sina’s implementation of real-name requirements has always been a bit questionable, and it doesn’t make much sense for the company to limit its new users or cull its userbase of unverified users, especially when its verified user numbers are apparently so dismally low. But the company does have to compel with both regulatory requirements and user frustration at how hard it can be to tell real from fake and rumors from the truth. I would argue that Weibo’s problems with rumors is simply the reflection of a much larger social issue, not something that’s wrong with the platform. But Sina can’t change society, so I’d expect these platform “upgrades” to keep coming from time to time.
The post Sina Weibo Adds Overseas Real-Name System, But Not Really appeared first on Tech in Asia.
Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. [J] has begun a navigation system that offers various information such as facilities, route guides, or events, to visitors at public spaces such as train stations or museums, using printed material such as pamphlets. Using this system, they underwent experimental testing at the JR Omiya station premises from October 1st through the 14th.
This system uses AR (augmented reality) technology by reading markers or icons printed on pamphlets or other materials with a camera, and then displaying related digital contents. By just opening and placing a pamphlet from within the facility on a special table shaped installation, you can receive new information not printed there, or various information such as guide routes to destinations within the facility from your current location
AR technology research has been proceeding since 2007 at Dai Nippon Printing, and they are developing promotion techniques or systems using AR. This time, in cooperation with JR East Japan Research and Development Center Frontier Service Lab, the attention is going towards pamphlets distributed in public places at stations, and they developed a system which offers various information working together with their published contents. In this experimental test run, two special installations are set up in the JP Omiya Station premises, and they are offering information on events during the time period and facility guides to users. The place is at the station business center “Ekyuuto Omiya” Komorebi plaza at the JR Omiya station central ticket gate (South), and “Ekyuuto Omiya” is offering information on stamp libraries or events as well as shopping guides published in “Train Festa” pamphlets distributed in the station.
At the moment Dai Nippon Printing is aiming to implement experimental test runs of the same system’s functions, user friendliness, and overall usefulness, at public or business institutions and museums.
Translation authorized by VSMedia
Experimental Test Of AR Navigation System At Omiya Station
Crescent Girls’ School (CGS) in Singapore uses Windows 8 as a learning platform in partnership with Microsoft and app developers. Microsoft has recently launched Windows 8, its latest platform known for having a fluid and connected experience. Microsoft has been collaborating with Crescent Girls’ School (CGS), a FutureSchool in Singapore known for its effort in...
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Crescent Girls’ School (CGS) in Singapore uses Windows 8 as a learning platform in partnership with Microsoft and app developers. Microsoft has recently launched Windows 8, its latest platform known for having a fluid and connected experience. Microsoft has been collaborating with Crescent Girls’ School (CGS), a FutureSchool in Singapore known for its effort in...
The post Windows 8 enhances learning at Crescent Girls’ School appeared first on e27.
Daily dose of tech news from around the world curated by the Pi team.
Apple’s R&D Spending went up by $1 Billion to $3.4 billion last year: The company released the 10-K it filed with the securities and exchanges commission for the year of 2012. Apple spent $3.4 billion in research and development during its 2012 fiscal year, up $1 billion from 2011. Apple also significantly added to its full-time employee pool, with around 12,400 new hires. Read more here.
Foxconn Profit Surges in Third Quarter: Shares of Hon Hai Precision Industry of Taiwan jumped Wednesday after the main manufacturer of Apple products, posted a sharp increase in quarterly net profit, lifted by Apple’s new products. Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn, the assembler of both the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini, started mass production for the products in late August. The company also provides electronics to other companies, including Cisco, Dell, Nokia and Sony. Read more here.
A Clash Across Europe Over the Value of a Click: Google got rich by selling a simple proposition: The links it provides to other Web sites are worth a lot of money, so much that millions of advertisers are willing to pay the company billions of dollars for them. Now some European newspaper and magazine publishers, frustrated by their inability to make more of their own money from the Web, want to reverse the equation. Google, they say, should pay them for links, because they provide the material on which the Web giant is generating all that revenue. Read more here.
RIM starts testing BB10 with 50 carriers: Bloomberg reports that shares of Blackberry maker Research In Motion Ltd climbed the most in almost a month after saying that wireless carriers had begun lab-testing BlackBerry 10 phones worldwide, a sign the devices are on track for delivery early next 
year. “In the last week, BlackBerry 10 achieved lab entry with more than 50 carriers — a key step in our preparedness for the launch of BlackBerry 10 in the first quarter of 2013,” Chief Executive Officer Thorsten Heins said in an e-mailed statement. Read here.
Windows 8 witnessing overwhelming response, say Microsoft executives: Across the globe and India as it has reported four million downloads globally and according to Microsoft Corporation India Chairman Bhaskar Pramanik “In India Windows 8 has been very well received — not just in terms of downloads but in terms of foot-falls we have seen in all our stores, all across the country”, read complete post here . From our earlier coverage
Windows 8 for PCs and tablets is available in India from 14 OEM partners – Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HCL, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, RP Infosystems, Sai Info System, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Wipro and Zenith Computers on a variety of form factors – from tablets and hybrids to laptops and ultrabooks, on both touch and non-touch devices. Over 250 Windows 8 enabled devices, including 23 completely new SKUs of Windows 8 PCs are available across 100 cities and more than 2500 retail stores.
Citi sets up dedicated desk for USD express wire in India: Citi, a cross border payment provider has announced the extension of its US Dollar Express Wire for Asia services by launching a dedicated desk for express wire in India. Citi’s Express Wire for Asia Service helps streamline the execution of US Dollar payments by sending transactions to the beneficiary bank in Asia expediently. By using Citi’s Express Wire for Asia Program, Citi’s clients have access to a larger network of local and regional clearing channels, with the added ability to request that payments be routed through a specific clearing system, read complete post here
This morning we’ve spotted some interesting reports from a few of Twitter’s Beijing denizens: internet connections are acting weird. For example, Jeremiah of Jottings from the Granite Studio and Rectifed.name reports that his ISP (Great Wall Broadband) is planning to just shut down for a few weeks:
Notice ISP this week saying they are temporarily suspending our broadband service for maintenance.Should last a few weeks.#18th
— Jeremiah Jenne (@GraniteStudio) October 31, 2012
And NPR’s Louisa Lim writes:
Woke up, 2 home internet connections both down.Reports of others broadband connections being suspended for “maintenance”. #chintranet
— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) November 1, 2012
Most people, it seems, are still connecting with no problem and haven’t gotten any weird notifications from their ISPs. But another Beijing friend did says that his internet is impossible to use this morning and his VPN wasn’t functioning either. And some China-based redditors yesterday complained that generally-available (if throttled) Google services like Gmail have stopped functioning.
Is this another internet crackdown in progress? It’s too early to say yet, and it’s important to stress that right now this appears to only be the case for a few people. Please do not re-blog this with the headline “Chinese Government Disconnects Internet!” The speculation is that the ISPs (perhaps at the direction of the government, perhaps not) could be battening down the hatches in preparation for the 18th Party Congress, during which China’s current leaders will step down to make way for the new generation of leaders.
Cutting off the web would be an extreme reaction, but a shutdown of major websites and ISPs during a major political event wouldn’t be unprecedented. June 4th — the anniversary of the government’s bloody crackdown on Tiananmen protesters in 1989 — is referred to jokingly by some net users as “Internet maintenance day” due to the fact that many websites and services seem to pick that particular day each year for scheduled maintenance. And following the Xinjiang riots, internet access in that province was severely curtailed for months. Since the government seems to be taking security insanely seriously this go-round, it’s not unreasonable to suspect they might take steps to lock down the internet a bit, too.
On the other hand, I can’t imagine a total shutdown of the internet could really be in the cards. If nothing else, the economic losses of taking even Beijing off the grid for a week or two would be massive. And that’s before you even take into account what millions of angry weibo addicts are going to do to fill their time if they can’t access the web at all.
So how about it, Beijing-based readers? Has your internet been acting funny recently? Gotten any strange notifications from your ISP? Let us know what you’re seeing in the comments.
The post Are Beijing ISPs Cutting Internet in Run-Up to China Leadership Handover? appeared first on Tech in Asia.
Kaifu Lee speaks to the BBC about the state of innovation in China, and what’s currently lacking in terms of how it develops technology:
Companies like Apple and Google are innovative from their very roots, built to change the world and with people willing to take big risks. The US has a culture tolerant of failure, driven by individual passion. Companies are not started to make money or make the founders a billionaire, but to build great technology. China is in a state where entrepreneurs’ major desire is to gain influence and wealth.
The post Kaifu Lee on What Drives China’s Entrepreneurs appeared first on Tech in Asia.
Japan’s ChatWork is an easy-to-use business communication and collaboration platform. The functions are simple, allowing businesses to set up private chat discussion groups which can be accessed via PC and mobile apps.
ChatWork also helps business managers assign and track tasks given to other team members. Sending files via ChatWork is easy too, and it’s free for companies who have less than 40 users, and pricing ranges from $2 to $4 per user per month for enterprises that are larger. The more users that join, the cheaper it gets.
ChatWork currently has more than 110,000 users, and about 15 percent of them are paid users.
The company was actually first founded as a web consulting company in March 2000 by its CEO Toshiyuki Yamamoto. But a representative, Shuhei Tanigawa told me that through the company’s dealings, they found that there’s a big demand for having an “effective internal communication tool.” So ChatWork was developed and launched in March 2012 to meet the demand. He added:
The review and feedback from users has been great and the number of users are skyrocketing, so as a company, we’ve decided we commit to this business, which means we have given away most of the business we had so far to our business partners in order to focus on ChatWork. At the same time, we have changed our company from EC Studio to ChatWork Inc.
In the near future, ChatWork plans to expand to Southeast Asia and it will be landing in Singapore to get the hang of the startup culture first before deciding which other markets to pursue. ChatWork is currently available in English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Vietnamese.
The post Japan’s Business Collaboration Tool ChatWork Has 110,000 Users, Eyes Southeast Asia appeared first on Tech in Asia.
Haven’t heard enough of mobile messaging apps this week? The Next Web is reporting that Taiwan-based Cubie has just raised $1.1 million in series A funding from a group of investors, including B Dash Ventures, NTT Investment Partners, Gumi Ventures, and 500 Startups.
Speaking of 500 Startups, Cubie was also among one of the many new startups included in the latest batch for Silicon-Valley accelerator program. Over on the Cubie blog, the startup explains why joining the program is an important step in its growth into new markets:
500 Startups has, from its inception, shown kickass leadership from women and a focus on for-women services, strengths which we hope to take advantage of over the coming months. We want to learn how to better serve our users and reach out to new ones in North America and elsewhere. 500’s team of partners, mentors and coaches will, we think, be one of our best resources to achieve that.
As we’ve pointed out over the past week, there is a strong field of mobile messaging apps coming out of Asia. Line from Japan, KakaoTalk from Korea, and WeChat from China are the most notable players to date. DeNA recently launched it’s Comm chat app, and yesterday we told you about Balloon, who just raised funding from Nissay Capital.
But the folks at Cubie say that they “don’t believe messaging is a zero sum game” and that in this field with no established leader yet, there is still a lot of opportunity for everyone involved. Cubie has been pushing a strong focus on services for women, so it may be able to ride that differentiator to stand out from the rest.
The post Taiwan’s Chat App ‘Cubie’ Raises $1.1 Million, Joins 500 Startups Accellerator appeared first on Tech in Asia.
