With authorities like the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) enforcing strict record-keeping mandates, regulatory compliance becomes more important. Recent enforcement actions and scrutiny from abroad have also prompted Asian regulators to tighten oversight measures.

Meanwhile, the widespread use of messaging apps like WhatsApp and WeChat for business presents compliance and security risks, compounded by the rising cyber-threats and data breaches. The shift to remote work has further intensified the need for improved business communications security.

The growing influence of messaging apps in Hong Kong businesses

Like many places around the world, messaging apps play an increasingly important role in business operations in Hong Kong, letting staff communicate with customers for inquiry and complaint handling, new product promotions, service consultations, and similar conversations.

The most popular messaging platform in Hong Kong used for business communications is WhatsApp. WeChat is also popular, especially for engaging with clients from mainland China.

Speaking of the use of messaging apps in Hong Kong for business, Vincent Wong, Assistant Product Manager at Hong Kong Telecom, explained that “the major business purpose in Hong Kong is for staff to handle daily inquiries from customers and promote new products and the latest market updates to customers.”

Hong Kong Telecom – LeapXpert collaboration for compliant communications

Hong Kong Telecom (HKT), one of the region’s telecommunications service providers, helps its enterprise customers ensure governance and security in client interactions amid an increasingly stringent regulatory environment. HKT has partnered with LeapXpert to deliver more secure and compliant digital communication solutions. This lets HKT provide its enterprise customers with a governed, compliant and secure framework to communicate with customers on messaging apps.

Wong described HKT’s offering as a “Cloud-based service based on the functionality of the LeapXpert platform.”

The LeapXpert Communications Platform lets enterprise employees engage with clients using popular consumer messaging channels, like WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram, WeChat, Signal, Line, and SMS, from platforms like Microsoft Teams, WeCom and Slack. The platform helps ensure regulatory compliance, enterprise governance and security.

According to Avi Pardo, Chief Business Officer at LeapXpert, the strategic partnership between the two companies positions HKT as “a premier provider of compliance-driven communication services, offering scalable solutions that support unified, secure and compliant cross-app communications tailored for business growth.”

Wong stated that “LeapXpert demonstrates strong capabilities in messaging compliance, enabling corporations to control and monitor conversations between staff and clients to ensure regulatory compliance and adherence to authority guidelines.”

Pardo said the integration of the LeapXpert platform with HKT’s services “creates a unique market differentiator that delivers significant value to enterprise customers, catering to the precise needs of modern, single-identity responsible business communication.”

Wong also said that, in addition to messaging compliance and archiving functionality, “HKT provides professional services, including configuration, user training and after-sales support.”

Strong market feedback

HKT targets banking and financial industries, investment traders, and some professional services industries, such as law firms and healthcare institutions. These especially require communications compliance and monitoring. The company also plans to target larger enterprises that use MS Teams for daily communication.

HKT has signed Bank of East Asia, a Hong Kong-based financial services group, as its first customer for the LeapXpert solution. The LeapXpert Communications Platform, underpinned by HKT’s connectivity infrastructure, allows BEA employees to communicate natively with customers over WhatsApp and WeChat in a manner that is governed, secure and compliant.

Business enablement and compliance

The LeapXpert platform, according to Pardo, lets businesses use messaging apps more securely, and ensure governance and compliance. He said this combination “enhances client engagement by allowing employees to communicate on their preferred platforms, improving efficiency by reducing the need to switch between apps.”

Pardo said advanced security features help protect businesses from risk, and HTK’s network provides reliability and local support. “This positions HKT with a unique compliance service throughout the region,” he said.

The post Next-level communication compliance: HKT and LeapXpert appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Doing business in Asia means being able to address the specific geographic, linguistic, and cultural complexities of the region. But more than that, it means getting technology investment aligned with local businesses’ goals, which are to achieve smart, experience-focused results for customers at home and abroad. According to some, it’s human-centred thinking, combined with strategy and the best in technology that can achieve Asia’s business goals.

Part of the impediment to getting the investment levels and targets right can be a lack of credible expertise available in-house. There’s growing demand for outside IT services (up by 6.5% in 2024, according to Forrester) in the region, yet a slower growth in available technology consultancies with whom to partner. Several large companies work in the region in an effort to correct the shortage of skilled hands in-house, with one multinational, Concentrix, part of the recent growth in the region’s IT consultancy offerings.

Anywhere in the world, companies like Concentrix focus on ensuring measurable ROI in digitisation. Its broad experience working in APAC dictates that aligning technology investments with customer and employee experience is the foundation of success.

In Asia, transformation needs to provide first-rate interactions with a brand in ways that are locally-relevant to Asian customers and the organisation’s Asian employees. Concentrix’ approach in particular is experience-driven, therefore, aiming for the improvements in processes that local consumers and businesses demand.

Building on infrastructure

Part of many digitisation projects is investment in infrastructure – ensuring the business has a technological foundation on which to build. Yet according to investment company SSC, “Infrastructure investments in the APAC region are becoming progressively intricate due to changing regulations.” That’s the first warning shot across the bows of digital transformation initiatives that aren’t steered by the needs of and required expertise in the region.

For example, Southeast Asian businesses are finding that IT investments they make can lead to them becoming the subject of fraud and financial crime – something they perhaps never envisioned as a result of digitisation. Preempting potential problems takes specific insight and existing experience of issues such as promo abuse, where consumers use bots and multiple email accounts to ‘game’ digitising retailers. While many domestic businesses know their markets intimately, sometimes partnerships can complement in-house abilities with a deep knowledge of the vagaries and pitfalls awaiting the unwary, out there in the complexities of the digital landscape.

While there’s risk in all sectors, one report on financial crime in the APAC states that much of it arises “from the state of hyperconnectivity and data ‘overwhelm’ in today’s Industry 4.0.” In a region that’s the definition of digital interconnectivity, where the use of advanced technology is an everyday part of business, having seasoned pros from organisations like Concentrix actually in the same room as decision-makers can make a significant difference in achieving business success.

Distinguishing the latest from the greatest technologies

The arrival of new technology platforms, as of itself, does not guarantee financial success. Misalignment of technology’s abilities with overall business goal of experiential improvements for staff and customers can mean a brand seriously misfiring publicly or losing its operational efficiency internally.

The region is very much prone to swift customer reaction in the event of a mis-step. Over half (56%) of APAC consumers say they would stop doing business with brands they do not trust (according to Twilio [PDF]). Twilio’s report also found that even choosing the wrong digital channel with which to communicate with customers can make 20% of customers look to another brand for their needs.

Refining the nature of need

One very interesting statistic, however, tells why some digitisation projects, despite often huge investment, don’t necessarily yield the results desired. McCann Worldgroup’s global study, published at the time of the COVID epidemic, found that “brands should address [APAC customers’] concerns, rather than selling them dreams.”

Are the region’s companies and organisations being sold digitisation dreams by faceless vendors and resellers, rather than solutions that address their desire to provide more to customers and employees? And isn’t there a better way than relying solely on marketing narratives from ‘big tech’ companies? As a consultancy and partner, Concentrix thinks there is.

Tech for its own sake

Sometimes, the problem is technology deployment for its own sake. It’s simply not practical to throw money at new technology and hope for success in business. As we’ve discussed above, it’s easy to go very wrong and still be significantly out of pocket, with little hope of seeing an ROI from digitisation efforts. With that comes a worse service for hard-won customers at home and abroad, and staff who should have been happier and more productive.

In experience earned from its work with many APAC businesses, Concentrix has found that concentrating on two initial outcomes is one of the possible ways to choose a digitisation journey’s next steps: For customers, every interaction needs to be intentional and personalised; with employees, the goals are to improve wellness and engagement, and keep staff retention figures healthily high.

“Our approach to digital transformation starts with people: those within the organization and those it serves. By combining deep human insights with advanced technology and domain expertise, we reimagine experiences end to end. As we drive AI-led transformation, this human-centric approach consistently amplifies the value we deliver, especially through elevated customer interactions at scale.”

Ashish Pandey, GVP, Concentrix Southeast Asia

Which technology achieves those objectives is less important, perhaps, as long as it provides the means to succeed.

Clearly, the needs of every organisation are different, and so there are no quick answers to be presented in the space of one, short article. In the coming weeks, we’ll discuss in greater detail just how Asian businesses can ensure their digitisation investments align with customers’ and workers’ needs. We’ll look at approaches to and advice on choosing a technology partner. And we’ll explore how organisations can mitigate emerging risks. Most importantly, we’ll look at how companies can achieve real return on investment – all without falling into the common traps, like procuring technology for its own sake, cybercrime, and forgetting about the people working at the heart of any business.

Check back on these pages over the course of the next few weeks to get answers, pointers, advice, and a lot of incisive discussion. If nothing else, decision makers will get significant food for thought as they consider their next steps in digital business evolution.

The post Digitisation for better experiences: Satisfying demand, not selling dreams appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Tesla is designing a cheaper Model Y and enhancing its autonomous-driving capabilities in China as it scrambles to reverse a worldwide sales slide.

The Tesla sales decline has become a challenge for the electric vehicle maker. To combat plummeting market share, the new Model Y variant is planned to be 20% cheaper than existing models.

Once the undisputed leader in the global EV market, Tesla is grappling with consumer backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s political association with the Trump administration and increasingly fierce competition from local rivals in key markets. According to the South China Morning Post, the company’s market share in China has dropped dramatically from more than 16% in 2022 to just 4.3% in February 2025.

Stock market response

The impact has been felt on Wall Street, where Tesla’s stock dropped 15% on Monday, marking its steepest decline in five years. According to TIME, the drop came alongside a stock market plunge following President Donald Trump’s hint at a recession. The president acknowledged Tesla’s struggles in a post on Truth Social, where he blamed “radical left lunatics” for boycotting Musk’s EV company and pledged to “buy a brand new Tesla” himself.

European market struggles

The decline in Tesla sales is particularly pronounced in Europe. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), Tesla sold just under 7,517 vehicles in Europe in January, half of January 2024 sales. The decline comes despite the rise of overall battery and hybrid electric vehicle sales as the European Union (EU) continues to tighten regulations on emissions from new vehicles.

In February, electric vehicle sales in Germany, the largest market for EVs in the EU, rose 30% year over year, yet Tesla sales were down more than 70% compared to last year. TIME reports that less than 1,500 new Teslas were registered in Germany in February.

Other European countries have also witnessed Tesla’s market share erode. Between January and February of 2025, Tesla recorded a 50% drop in sales in Portugal and 45% in France, according to Reuters, while sales fell 42% in Sweden and by 48% in Norway.

Australian and Chinese markets

The Tesla sales decline includes Australia, where data from the Electric Vehicle Council shows that Tesla sales dropped over 70% compared to last year, with just 1,592 sales in February compared to 5,665 in February 2024, as reported by The Guardian.

In China, Tesla is facing particular challenges. Tesla sales in China dropped 49% in February, with the automaker shipping 30,688 vehicles – the lowest monthly figure since July 2022, according to Bloomberg. Tesla’s market share in the country has plummeted from more than 16% in 2022 to just 4.3% in February 2025, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Chinese automaker BYD has emerged as a formidable competitor, selling more than 318,000 electric and hybrid cars last month – a 161% increase from last year. In December, sales of Tesla’s Model 3 fell behind those of the SU7, developed by smartphone vendor Xiaomi, by 25,815 to 21,046.

US market challenges & the bright spots amid global decline

Even in Tesla’s home market, the company is facing headwinds. In California – the biggest domestic market for EVs thanks to its state mandate that 35% of new 2026 car models sold must be zero-emissions – Tesla sales slumped for the fifth consecutive quarter, according to data from the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA).

However, not every market has seen a similar decline. Britain saw a record number of EV sales in 2024, and Tesla sales were up 20% in February, bucking the global trend.

Musk’s response to global challenges

When Fox Business’s Larry Kudlow asked Musk how he was managing his various businesses amid these challenges, Musk candidly admitted he was doing so “with great difficulty.” Tesla has not officially released a statement addressing its falling sales, but its actions in various markets speak of the company’s recognition of the severity of the situation.

Competition intensifies as price war unfolds

Mainland China is Tesla’s second-largest market worldwide, trailing only the US, and the Shanghai factory is the carmaker’s most extensive production base. However, the company faces increasingly sophisticated competition from local manufacturers offering comparable or superior technology at significantly lower prices. An entry-level edition of Xpeng’s Mona M03, an EV fitted with preliminary autonomous-driving technology, costs 119,800 yuan, just half the price of the Model 3.

The price disparity illustrates the fundamental challenge Tesla faces in markets like China, where domestic manufacturers have rapidly closed the technological gap while maintaining a substantial cost advantage. Chinese brands also employ aggressive pricing strategies that Tesla has struggled to match. According to China Passenger Car Association data, a record 227 models, including electric and petrol cars, had their prices cut in 2024, compared with 148 in 2023. The price war puts additional pressure on Tesla’s margins when the company is already contending with declining sales volumes.

The road ahead: Critical challenges mount

The decline in Tesla sales represents a pivotal moment for the company that once dominated the EV landscape. While Tesla is taking steps to address its challenges – particularly in China with its new lower-priced Model Y and enhanced autonomous capabilities – these moves may be too little, too late as competitors continue to gain momentum.

Tesla’s production problems compound its market challenges. Even as the company unveiled an upgraded Model Y in China in late February, buyers in Shanghai are still waiting for deliveries due to production shortages, according to the South China Morning Post. These operational issues further erode consumer confidence at an important juncture. The reality facing Tesla is stark: its first-mover advantage has largely evaporated, and the company now finds itself in unfamiliar territory – playing defence rather than setting the agenda for the industry.

With EV adoption accelerating globally and Tesla’s share of the growing market shrinking, the company faces existential questions about its positioning and strategy. For a company whose stratospheric valuation was predicated on market dominance and industry leadership, this period of retrenchment signals a fundamental recalibration of Tesla’s prospects.

Whether Musk’s company can regain its footing in an increasingly crowded landscape remains today’s a pressing question in the electric vehicle industry.

The post Tesla sales plummet worldwide as competition and political backlash intensify appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Basic Energy Corporation plans to develop 500 megawatts (MW) of wind and 500 MW of solar energy projects by 2030 as part of its long-term strategy to expand its renewable energy portfolio, according to Vice Chairman and CEO Oscar L. de Venecia, Jr.

Wind and solar projects in the pipeline

Basic Energy is currently working on a 50-MW wind power project in Mabini, Batangas, alongside RDG Wind Energy, a joint venture with Japanese renewable energy developer Renova.

The P5-billion wind farm covers 4,860 hectares and is expected to be completed by 2027. The project will consist of at least 10 wind turbine generators. De Venecia said the company is focused on making the 50 MW project operational first. Once it’s running, the company will assess the wind resource data to determine if expansion is feasible, noting that there is still space along the ridges of the site for potential growth.

In addition to the Mabini project, Basic Energy recently secured exclusive rights to develop the Balayan wind project near the Calatagan peninsula. The project was awarded under a service contract from the Department of Energy (DOE) and is expected to add 168 MW to the Luzon grid’s generation capacity. Basic Energy plans to check wind strength in the area during the pre-development stage and is required to declare the ability to produce a profit in the next five years. If completed, the Balayan project could increase the company’s total wind capacity to around 350-400 MW.

Basic Energy is also advancing plans for a 155-MW onshore wind project between Iloilo and Antique. The project recently received approval and will increase further the company’s renewable energy footprint.

The company is also looking at nearshore wind projects, including facilities providing up to 150 MW in Calatagan, Batangas, and 100 MW in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte. Combined, the three projects represent an estimated investment of $760 million.

“We will be commencing the wind resource assessment as soon as we have obtained a favourable system impact study from NGCP (National Grid Corp. of the Philippines). Once we have established that connectivity, we will go full swing already with resource assessment,” de Venecia said.

Expanding solar and clean energy infrastructure

Basic Energy’s interests include an increase to its solar generation operations. The company has applied to build two solar projects in Negros and Bataan with a combined capacity of 90 MW. If approved, these would support the company’s goal of balancing wind and solar output to create what it feels is a more stable renewable energy portfolio.

Basic Energy’s investments include clean energy infrastructure. Earlier this year, the company launched an electric vehicle charging station along Edsa. The EV station is part of a broader effort to promote electric transport and reduce emissions in the sector.

Strategic growth in the renewable energy market

Basic Energy’s growing wind and solar portfolio is part of the company’s objective increase its position in renewable energy. De Venecia said the company’s priorities include increasing generation capacity and integrating new technologies. “We want to be a long-term participant in the energy sector. We have been here since the first discovery of oil in the Philippines. We were part of that. Now, things have changed, and people are looking at different [sources] now. We want to be a part of that. As we keep growing, we also want to see where we can participate in bringing newer technologies later on.”

The post Basic Energy targets 1-gigawatt renewable energy capacity by 2030 appeared first on TechWire Asia.

The growing phenomenon of chatbot review bias is undermining the reliability of online shopping platforms, according to groundbreaking research from European business schools. The systematic distortion in customer feedback could have far-reaching implications for e-commerce trust and transparency.

The comprehensive study on chatbot review bias, published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, reveals that when consumers interact with chatbots to leave reviews – particularly those with human-like characteristics – they consistently provide higher ratings while writing shorter, less helpful reviews compared to traditional form-based feedback methods.

“Online reviews are critical for consumers to make good purchase decisions. For this to happen, online reviews must be helpful, and ratings must accurately reflect product quality,” explained Dr Dimitrios Tsekouras, Senior Lecturer at Rotterdam School of Management. “But if ratings are better than they should be, and not very detailed, this can mislead consumers and harm the reputation of online selling platforms.”

The research team conducted multiple experiments, including field tests, to understand how chatbot review bias manifests in real-world scenarios. Their findings identified two fundamental mechanisms driving bias: interaction enjoyment with moderately human-like chatbots and social presence with highly human-like chatbots. Both factors contributed to inflated ratings, with reviews collected through chatbots showing consistently higher scores than those collected through conventional methods.

Perhaps most concerning is the impact on review quality. Dr Tsekouras and his colleagues found that chatbot-collected reviews were significantly shorter and less detailed, making them less valuable for potential buyers seeking authentic product information. This aspect of chatbot review bias poses a particular challenge for platforms like Amazon, where detailed customer feedback plays a crucial role in purchase decisions.

The implications of systematic bias extend beyond just numbers. Dr Dominik Gutt, one of the study’s co-authors, points out, “Low-quality sellers could abuse chatbots to boost their ratings and disguise the low quality of their products.” The potential for manipulation raises severe concerns about the transparency and reliability of online review systems.

The researchers suggest that platforms and policymakers consider whether chatbots should be permitted to collect online reviews. Their findings indicate that the current trend toward automated review collection might be undermining the very purpose of customer feedback systems.

Key findings from the study include:

• Chatbot review bias consistently resulted in higher product ratings,
• The more human-like the chatbot, the higher the rating inflation,
• Chatbot-collected reviews were shorter and contained less detailed information,
• The bias was particularly pronounced for lower-quality products.

“If ratings are better than they should be and not very detailed, this can mislead consumers and harm the reputation of online selling platforms,” warned Dr Tsekouras.

As online retail grows, addressing chatbot review bias presents a crucial challenge for the industry. While chatbots offer efficiency and cost savings in customer service, their impact on review integrity suggests that businesses might need to reconsider their implementation in feedback collection processes.

The study recommends that e-commerce platforms and retailers carefully weigh the benefits of automated review collection against the potential costs of review quality and accuracy. Dr. Irina Heimbach from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management – suggests that the research should inform policymakers designing feedback mechanisms.

For consumers, the message is clear: be aware that reviews collected through chatbots might not tell the whole story. Be wary of mostly-short and mostly-positive reviews – they may be subject to the bias the researchers unearthed. As AI continues to reshape online retail, understanding and mitigating chatbot review bias becomes increasingly crucial for maintaining the web of trust that’s essential for e-commerce ecosystems to prosper.

The post Chatbot review bias threatens online shopping trust, study reveals appeared first on TechWire Asia.

The Indonesian Ministry of Industry has said that Google’s Pixel phones can’t be bought by Indonesians from domestic retailers because the US company does not ensure 40% of their ‘content’ comes from Indonesia. Content can comprise firmware or some form of investment in the local population, as well as the physical components of a phone. Spokesperson Ministry Febri Hendri Antoni Arief said, “The local content rule and related policies are made for fairness for all investors that invest in Indonesia, and for creating added value and deepening the industry structure here.”

The most recent ban follows on from a similar limit on sales of Apple’s iPhone 16 placed in late October this year. Both bans also apply to phones used by tourists and visitors to the country.

Apple iPhone and Google Pixel ban

Apple had promised to invest $109 million in local infrastructure, including educational initiatives, but to date has only committed $95 million. According to Statista, $109 million is accrued in revenue by the Cupertino, California-based company roughly every ten hours, with the required shortfall of $14 million taking about an hour and a quarter’s global income.

Apple Academies – Apple’s choice of Indonesian investment – train students in the use of development tools and methods used to produce software for the company’s devices that run iOS, macOS, tvOS and iPadOS.

Companies wishing to sell their consumer tech devices have to seek certification from the Indonesian government, having proved that they are ploughing money into the local economy. How that investment is manifest is agreed between the Indonesian authorities and the company in question.

Korea’s Samsung and China’s Xiaomi have created manufacturing and assembly plants in Indonesia, and currently, Samsung holds 16.5% of the Indonesian handset market. Mi phones from Xiaomi comprise 18.4%, according to statistics from Counterpoint.

As part of the same survey, Counterpoint’s senior analyst, Febriman Abdillah, stated that there is particular demand in Indonesia for mid-range phones ($200-$399) at present, a bracket that excludes Google and Apple’s offerings other than as luxury items.

The Indonesian government implements its embargoes by means of withholding IMEI certifications for new handsets. That has the effect of making phones impossible to use with a domestic carrier for data, calls or texts. Phones could still operate as wi-fi-only devices – potentially an option for tourists entering Indonesia with a new device. Given the strictures in place at present, however, the government’s edicts have effectively stopped all sales to the domestic market.

Both Apple and Google can still qualify for the necessary certifications to re-open trade in the country, but at the time of writing, neither company had commented on the developing situation. Apple’s Tim Cook visited Indonesia in April 2024 as part of the negotiations over Apple’s inbound investment, but the company’s shortfall means that it, like Google, exists in a state of limbo with regards handset sales. Google’s ban comes just days after that affecting Apple, showing that the Indonesian government is sticking to the letter of its edicts, even if US technology companies are not.

The post Indonesia blocks sales of latest Pixel and iPhone models appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Key takeaways

• Wellbeing apps provide accessible mental health support, integrating mindfulness, relaxation, and personal growth in daily life.
• Top apps like Headspace, Calm, and BetterHelp offer tailored tools for meditation and therapy, enhancing mental clarity and emotional wellness.
• Combining various apps like Headway and Moodfit for mood tracking, personal growth, and digital wellbeing creates a comprehensive self-care routine for overall mental health improvement.

The importance of wellbeing apps

Wellbeing apps have surged in popularity, driven by the growing need for self-care in a world increasingly dominated by stress and digital distractions. These apps provide 24/7 access to mental health support, making them invaluable resources for individuals with busy schedules. Integrating mindfulness, relaxation, and personal growth in daily routines through wellbeing apps helps maintain balance in our hectic lives.

One of the key benefits of these apps is their ability to make self-care more accessible. Whether you’re looking to practice mindfulness, track your mood, or engage in personal growth activities, there’s an app that can fit seamlessly into your routine. This accessibility allows users to incorporate healthy habits into their daily lives, promoting overall wellbeing.

For those new to wellbeing apps, it’s recommended to start with one or two that align with your goals, like stress relief or personal growth, and gradually explore more as you build your self-care routine. Using a combination of apps allows you to address different aspects of your wellbeing and create a balanced approach to self-care.

Personal growth and learning apps

Personal growth and learning apps play a crucial role in facilitating self-improvement and cognitive enhancement. These apps provide users with quick insights and educational content, making personal development accessible anytime, anywhere.

Here are some of the best apps in this category:

Headway

Headway is designed for individuals who want to invest in their personal growth but have limited time to read full-length books. The app offers concise summaries of popular non-fiction books, allowing users to grasp key concepts quickly. With both reading and listening options available, Headway caters to different user preferences. Users appreciate its user-friendly interface design and extensive library of summaries tailored to various personal development goals.

By providing daily book summaries focused on self-improvement, productivity, and personal growth, Headway helps users build a daily habit of learning. This app complements other wellbeing practices and supports a holistic approach to self-care.

Download Headway for a free trial and start your journey to personal growth today.

Duolingo

Duolingo is a well-known language learning app that gamifies the process of acquiring new languages. Its engaging lessons not only facilitate language acquisition but also enhance cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills.

Integrating language learning into your self-improvement journey, Duolingo makes the process enjoyable and effective.

TED

TED offers a diverse collection of short expert talks, fostering inspiration and education in various subjects. The talks, hosted by experts from different fields, provide users with diverse perspectives and knowledge.

TED is an excellent resource for those seeking inspiration and education through a library of short, impactful talks.

Mindfulness and meditation apps

Mindfulness and meditation apps have become essential tools to enhance mental clarity and reducing stress. The apps offer a variety of features, including guided meditations, mood tracking, and interactive exercises, all designed to promote mindfulness and improve mental wellbeing.

Some of the top apps in this category are explored below.

Headspace

Headspace is one of the leading apps in the mindfulness space, offering a simple yet effective approach to meditation. The app encourages users to meditate for just ten minutes a day, which can help clear the mind and improve focus. Users report enhanced attention spans, alertness, and a sense of calm after using Headspace regularly. The guided sessions, led by former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe, provide a soothing and authoritative experience.

Beyond meditation, Headspace offers a range of mindfulness exercises and sleep aids, making it a comprehensive tool for mental wellness. Whether you’re looking to reduce stress, improve sleep, or simply find a moment of peace in your day, Headspace is a valuable addition to your self-care routine.

Calm

Calm is another top contender in the realm of mindfulness apps, with over 150 million downloads to date. The app provides a wide range of relaxation techniques designed to reduce stress and anxiety. Features include guided meditations, breathing programmes, and stretching exercises, all aimed at promoting mental wellbeing. The app also includes sleep stories, which are specifically crafted to help users drift off at night.

Calm’s breathing exercises are structured to facilitate relaxation and improve sleep quality. By incorporating its techniques into your daily routine, you can experience significant improvements in your mental and emotional wellbeing. Calm is an excellent choice for anyone looking to practice mindfulness and achieve a greater sense of peace and relaxation.

Insight Timer

Insight Timer stands out with its over 150,000 free meditation options. This app features thousands of guided meditations led by various instructors, catering to diverse needs. Whether you’re seeking stress relief, motivation, or happiness, Insight Timer offers a wide array of meditations to help you integrate mindfulness into your everyday life.

The app also provides relaxation music, enhancing its value as a comprehensive mindfulness tool.

Therapy and mental health support apps

Therapy and mental health support apps are invaluable resources for individuals seeking professional help from a mental health professional and mental health care. The apps provide access to licensed therapists, personalised therapy sessions, and a sense of community and support through digital platforms.

Here are some of the top therapy and mental health support apps.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp connects users with a network of over 30,000 licensed therapists via a range of communication methods including live video, phone calls, and in-app messaging. The platform provides users with the flexibility to choose their therapist based on specific needs and preferences, ensuring personalised therapy. BetterHelp supports various therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based therapy.

Users can tailor their therapy sessions to fit their schedules, making mental health care more accessible and convenient. As a leading therapy app, BetterHelp ensures that users receive professional support and guidance on their mental health journey.

Talkspace

Talkspace offers a comprehensive range of therapy options which include online therapy. It matches users with licensed therapists via the app. The platform accommodates over 150 mental health conditions and provides tailored therapy options for individuals, couples, and teens. Users can communicate with therapists via text, audio, and video, offering flexibility and convenience options to access mental health support.

Talkspace’s subscription model includes unlimited messaging therapy, allowing support between therapy sessions. The app also allows users to switch therapists easily, enhancing the likelihood of finding a suitable match. Talkspace’s accessibility and variety of therapy options make it a valuable tool for managing mental health.

Mindshift

Mindshift is designed to help users manage anxiety and stress through cognitive behavioral therapy strategies and techniques. The app provides tools for identifying and challenging negative thoughts, creating personalised coping plans tailored to specific anxiety triggers.

With features like relaxation techniques and thought journaling, Mindshift empowers users to effectively handle their anxiety and improve mental health.

Mood and habit tracking apps

Mood and habit tracking apps are essential tools for monitoring mental wellbeing and developing healthier habits. The apps use advanced algorithms to analyse user data and provide personalised insights, helping users recognise patterns and make informed decisions about their mental health.

Here are some of the best apps in this category:

Moodfit

Moodfit offers a comprehensive view of mental health, allowing users to monitor various aspects of their wellness, including mood, sleep, and exercise. The app features analytics to help users identify trends and correlations between their mood and daily activities. Moodfit is one of the best apps for tracking moods and offers useful resources for mental wellness.

The app supports overall wellbeing by offering personalised mental health resources to help users manage their emotional health. By staying motivated and consistent in tracking mental health, users can achieve better sleep and improve their overall emotional wellbeing.

Streaks

Streaks helps users form good habits and holds them on track to achieve their goals by measuring up to twelve tasks each day. The app provides insights into daily, weekly, and monthly completion rates, promoting consistency in habit formation.

With visual reminders and detailed progress reports, Streaks encourages users to maintain motivation and develop healthy habits.

Physical health and fitness apps

Physical health and fitness apps support overall wellbeing by offering tools for exercise, nutrition, and healthy habits. These health apps cater to a wide range of activities, including strength training, cardio, and yoga.

Here are some of the top fitness apps available:

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal simplifies the process of calorie counting and nutrition tracking with features like barcode scanning and AI-powered meal logging. The app provides personalised meal recommendations based on users’ dietary habits, helping them achieve their physical health goals. Users can also log the same meals for multiple days, making it easier to maintain consistency in their diet.

In addition to nutrition tracking, MyFitnessPal supports exercise monitoring, allowing users to track their workouts and monitor progress. By offering comprehensive tools for calorie counting, nutrition tracking, and exercise monitoring, MyFitnessPal is a valuable wellness app for those looking to improve their physical health.

Yoga for Beginners

Yoga for Beginners is ideal for those new to yoga, offering guided sessions that focus on breathing techniques and foundational poses. These apps provide sequences tailored for newcomers, ensuring safe and effective practice.

With sessions that can be done at home, Yoga for Beginners makes yoga accessible to users with challenging schedules. The app integrates simple yoga routines into busy lives, promoting relaxation and physical health.

Women’s health and wellness apps

Women’s health and wellness apps are designed to help women track their menstrual cycles and provide insights into overall health. These apps play a crucial role in understanding hormones and their links with mental health.

Here are some of the top apps in this category:

Flo Period Tracker

Flo Period Tracker tracks periods, ovulation, and fertility, offering insights into women’s health and wellness. The app provides users with detailed information about their bodies throughout the month, helping them understand their health better.

Flo is an essential tool for women looking to gain a deeper understanding of their menstrual cycles and overall health.

Clue

Clue is designed to help women track their menstrual cycles and symptoms, providing detail of how periods affect both physical and mental health. By logging symptoms, users can learn more about their cycles and how to manage them effectively.

Clue is a valuable app for women seeking to understand their menstrual health better.

Digital wellbeing and productivity apps

Digital wellbeing and productivity apps help users find balance and enhance focus in their daily lives. These apps provide features for tracking tech usage, setting screen time limits, and promoting mindful digital consumption.

Some of the top apps in this category are explored below.

Google Digital Wellbeing

Google Digital Wellbeing provides information about digital habits, allowing users to track app usage and set daily screen limits. The app features tools for setting time limits and tracking app use which encourages mindful digital interactions. With features like Bedtime mode, users can disconnect from their devices at night and gain healthier sleep habits.

By helping users monitor and reduce screen time, Google Digital Wellbeing promotes a more balanced relationship with technology. This app supports mental wellness and overall wellbeing by encouraging mindful use of digital devices.

Forest

Forest gamifies productivity by allowing users to grow virtual trees that thrive when they focus, free from phone-based distractions. The app provides a visual incentive to minimise distractions, encouraging users to stay off their phones and concentrate on other tasks.

By planting virtual trees as users focus away from their screens, Forest promotes productivity and mindfulness.

Freedom

Freedom helps users block specific apps and websites to minimise distractions and improve concentration. The application supports the improvement of focus by blocking distracting websites and apps during work or study periods.

Freedom’s ability to block specific distractions encourages more mindful screen use and enhanced productivity.

Summary

Wellbeing apps are powerful tools for maintaining mental balance and promoting all aspects of health in our busy lives. From mindfulness and meditation to personal growth and professional therapy, the apps above offer a wide range of resources to support overall wellbeing. By starting with one or two apps that align with your goals and gradually exploring more, you can create a balanced and effective self-care routine. Embrace the power of these digital tools and take the first step towards a healthier, happier you!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of using wellbeing apps?

Using wellbeing apps can give constant access to mental health support and techniques, making it simpler to weave mindfulness and personal growth into daily life.

How do mindfulness and meditation apps help with mental health?

Mindfulness and meditation apps are powerful tools for boosting mental health as they provide guided practice that reduces stress and enhances mental clarity.

What are some good apps for personal growth and learning?

For personal growth and learning, you can’t go wrong with Headway, Duolingo, and TED. They provide resources like book summaries, language lessons, and expert talks to enrich your mind and fuel your journey of self-improvement!

How can therapy and mental health support apps be beneficial?

Therapy and mental health support apps can be beneficial by providing easy access to licensed therapists and personalised tools that can help manage anxiety and stress.

Why are mood and habit tracking apps important?

Mood and habit tracking apps can be important to foster mental wellbeing and the building of positive habits, offering personalised insights and accountability.

The post Best wellbeing apps for mindfulness, growth, and relaxation appeared first on TechWire Asia.

IDE: What you need to know

Intelligent data extraction involves the use of technologies like AI and ML (machine learning), along with NLP (natural language processing), to process high-volumes of unstructured and structured data. Unlike traditional methods, it can improve performance and learn with time while always being more effective and efficient.

The application of IDE in the financial sector

The financial sector includes banking, insurance, investments, and other asset management products. Each one of these products leads to the creation of data in the form of transaction history, customer-vendor interactions, market feed, and regulatory filings. Here is what IDE is changing:

Better customer satisfaction

The primary aim of financial products is to provide a customer-centric experience. Using IDE, the data collected from various points of interaction can be used to provide a 360-degree view of customer behaviour and preferences. This can help provide proactive assistance, everything from offering small business loans to great vendors to discounts on a spouse’s birthday. It can also play a crucial role in providing better assistance and timely response to the customer queries.

Safer compliance and reporting

The financial sector is heavily regulated – although the same cannot be said about other industries. Spanning multiple products and overlapping jurisdictions, dealing with regulation can become time-consuming and complex. Using IDE, companies can easily extract the relevant data from any document to ensure accuracy and efficiency in reporting. IDE also helps to identify patterns that could indicate fraudulent activities, thus aiding risk management and compliance with laws like GDPR, KYC, and AML.

Better decision making

By analysing a wealth of market data, IDE tools can create actionable insight into how the company should invest, which risks it should take, and what approach to take for strategy. The extraction of real-time data allows the financial analyst to respond on-the-fly and stay ahead of market trends.

Implementing IDE in financial services

The implementation process for Intelligent Data Extraction in finance should go through the following general steps:

• Identifying data sources: The financial service provider must understand what sources of data they are interested in. It might range from internal databases, social media, and news outlets to banking transaction logs.
• Choosing the right tools: The next step is to analyse the IDE tools available to the financial organisation and the feasible implementation prospects. Scalability, ease of integration, and adaptability to different types of data can be considered.
• Data integration: The IDE tool will become a part of the financial service’s IT infrastructure and be able to send and receive data without bottlenecks.

Training the System: The financial service provider can use historical data to train the IDE system to learn from historical data to avoid any future issues.

• Monitoring and maintenance: It is important to continuously monitor the performance of the solution and make changes that improve precision.
• Ensuring security and privacy: Make sure the use of data in the new system is secure and that data will be safe and private as much as possible.

Conclusion

Intelligent Data Extraction facilitates efficiency, makes compliance easier, adds to customer satisfaction, and helps decision-makers act on empirical data. As technology continues to evolve, financial institutions that embrace IDE will find themselves ready to capitalise on the data-driven opportunities of the future.

The post Intelligent data extraction in financial services appeared first on TechWire Asia.

The US Department of Commerce is said to be investigating claims that TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) has helped Chinese company Huawei make 5G chips, such as those found in the company’s latest Apple-killer Mate 60 phone.

Although a formal probe by the DoC has yet to be announced, sources close to the issue have stated in The Information that TSMC acted in contravention of 5G export controls in allowing Huawei either access to chip designs, helped Huawei in some way design its own 5G semiconductors, or sold chips to Huawei via intermediary companies.

TSMC has denied any wrongdoing, issuing a statement that it is “committed to complying with laws and regulations, including export controls.”

TSMC manufacturing in Arizona

Any proven claims against TSMC could jeopardise the company’s receipt of funding it’s received from the US as part of the package awarded April this year – some $6.6 billion – from direct CHIPS Act funding. Although headquartered in Taiwan, TSMC operates fabrication facilities in Arizona that make chips for AMD, ARM, MediaTek, Nvidia, Apple, and Qualcomm, among others. TSMC has invested more than $65 billion in the Arizona facilities.

Although the largest shareholder of TSMC remains the Taiwanese government, most of the company is owned by international investors. Highly punitive sanctions taken against the company would severely impact the bottom lines of many of the world’s biggest technology companies, and potentially put the brakes on the current supply of chips used in AI applications, communications, servers, communications infrastructure, and consumer devices.

The CHIPS Act funding given to the company was designed to promote TSMC chip manufacturing for US companies, allowing them to better compete against non-domestic offerings. According to NIST, the Department of Commerce implemented conditions for the granting of CHIPS funding that “seek to prevent CHIPS funds from being used to directly or indirectly benefit foreign countries of concern.”

China is considered by the US to be a country of concern, alongside so-called pariah states such as Iran and Russia. Rather than threatening US borders with massed troops or funding terrorist training camps, China’s perceived crimes seem to be a certain success in free market trade and popularity among consumers enamoured of the country’s cheaper-than-average exports by companies like Huawei.

Huawei hardware and technology already underpins much of the world’s telecoms networks, but has seen a rapid downturn in profitability since imposition of trade sanctions led by the US from 2021. In 2020, the company overtook Samsung as the world’s largest manufacturer of smartphones, a position that has since slipped since the sale of the Honor brand to the Shenzen regional government in China.

CHIPS Act funding in jeopardy

The embargo on the use of TSMC technology that might benefit a ‘country of concern’ puts the company’s CHIPS funding from the US into doubt, although the company has worked hard to establish fabrication facilities elsewhere in the world, a move much encouraged by governments keen not to repeat the impact of supply chain problems caused by the COVID epidemic.

In addition to the embargo on selling directly to foreign competition (in this case, Huawei) companies in receipt of US state funding are expected to demonstrate due diligence that any sales will not end up in proscribed hands via intermediary companies. Sources close to the issue have said that the US is investigating the methods employed by TSMC to vet its customers.

If found in breach of rules, TSMC could be liable to pay back the funds it’s received under the CHIPS Act, although as the second largest recipient of such funds, the invocation of any ‘clawback’ rule could jeopardise the CHIPS Act scheme and make investors in the chip sector jittery enough to relocate their interests to areas less subject to political whimsy.

“If we have any reason to believe there are potential issues, we will take prompt action to ensure compliance, including conducting investigations and proactively communicating with relevant parties,” a statement from TSMC said.

The post TSMC under suspicion of supplying ‘country of concern’ appeared first on TechWire Asia.

In a recent post on Threads, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri acknowledged a growing concern on the platform: the rise of engagement bait. “We’ve seen an increase in engagement bait on Threads, and we’re working to get it under control,” Mosseri stated, promising “more to come” on the issue without specifying the exact measures being taken. 

The development marks a significant moment for Threads, Meta’s Twitter-like platform, as it grapples with content quality issues similar to those faced by other social media platforms.

Understanding engagement bait

Engagement bait refers to content designed primarily to elicit reactions, comments, or shares, often at the expense of genuine value or meaningful interaction. Common examples include posts that explicitly ask users to like, comment, or share, or those that use misleading tactics to boost engagement metrics. While these practices can temporarily inflate a post’s visibility, they can lead to a poor user experience and can dilute the platform’s overall content quality.

The impact on Threads

Threads, launched in July 2023 as a text-based conversation app, quickly gained traction as an alternative to Twitter. However, the platform’s rapid growth has also brought challenges, including the proliferation of engagement bait. This issue threatens to impact its long-term viability and user retention.

Instagram’s acknowledgement of the problem and commitment to addressing it signals a proactive approach to maintaining content quality. Its stance aligns with broader social media management trends, where platforms increasingly prioritise authentic engagement over raw metrics.

Opportunities for digital marketers

While the crackdown on engagement bait may seem challenging for digital marketers, it presents an opportunity to refine strategies and focus on more sustainable, authentic engagement. 

Here are several ways digital marketers can effectively use Threads to promote brands in this evolving landscape:

1. Focus on value-driven content: Create content that genuinely resonates with your audience. Share insights, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or industry news your followers will find valuable.
2. Leverage real-time conversations: Threads’ real-time nature makes it ideal for joining trending discussions. Engage in conversations relevant to your brand, offering unique perspectives or expertise.
3. Collaborate with influencers: Partnering with influencers who align with your brand values for authentic promotions can work well on Threads, too. Ensure collaborations feel natural and add value for the audience.
4. Utilise Threads’ features: Experiment with Threads’ features, such as its integration with Instagram, to create cross-platform campaigns that drive engagement organically.
5. Encourage employee advocacy: Allow employees to share brand content and engage in industry discussions on Threads, expanding your reach through authentic voices.
6. Create a Thread series: Develop a series of connected posts that dive deep into topics relevant to your audience, encouraging followers to engage with the entire series.
7. Host Q&A sessions: Use Threads to host live Q&A sessions, addressing customer queries and showcasing your brand’s expertise and customer service.
8. Share user-generated content: Encourage and share user-generated content related to your brand, fostering a sense of community and authentic engagement.
9. Provide exclusive updates: Use Threads to share exclusive updates or announcements, giving followers a reason to stay engaged with your brand on the platform.
10. Engage in community building: Focus on building a community around your brand by consistently engaging with followers, responding to comments, and fostering discussions.

Navigating the new landscape

Digital marketers must inevitably adapt their strategies as Threads evolves its policies to combat engagement bait. The key lies in shifting focus from short-term engagement metrics to long-term relationship building and brand loyalty. By prioritising authentic interactions and valuable content, marketers can comply with platform guidelines and build more meaningful connections.

As Threads refines its algorithms to favour quality content over engagement bait, brands that consistently provide value will likely see improved visibility and organic growth. This allows marketers to establish their brands as thought leaders and trusted voices within their industries.

Threads’ crackdown on engagement bait reflects a broader trend on social media platforms towards more authentic, value-driven content. For digital marketers, the shift necessitates reevaluating strategies, focusing on creating genuine connections with audiences.

The post Threads’ engagement bait problem and digital marketing opportunities appeared first on TechWire Asia.