Minh’s pick: Indian Messaging App GupShup Goes Multi-Lingual With 9 Local Languages
I’m increasingly believing that India is an underrated market and China is overrated so it’s nice to see that there’s at least an Indian equivalent of WeChat out there and it comes in the form of GupShup. Unlike WeChat, which rises out of the background of Tencent’s gaming empire, GupShup organically grew out of a startup tackling SMS texting.
Xairylle’s pick: Malaysia’s MyTeksi Expands to Philippines, Helps You Find a Ride with GrabTaxi
Finding a taxi can be quite a task in the Philippines. Having an app like this makes it easier to commute via taxi in the metro. Although the system could use improvement, it is a good step towards improving public transportation.
Saiyai’s and Dewi’s pick: Thai MPs Getting Free iPads; Thai Public Skeptical
Saiyai: I’ve always been skeptical with this government’s policy on how they spend money. First they came out with the One Tablet Per Child policy, in which they give tablets (that can only be used through Wifi) to all the first graders. I haven’t heard of any results coming out from that policy. Now they’re giving away tablets to MPs (better than the ones they gave to the children), and yet obviously they all make enough money to buy tablets themselves. Of course, if they care enough to learn about technology and want to use that to improve the country. 18M Baht can go so far. I’d rather see that money going into solving the oil spilling problem in the Gulf of Thailand, or at the very least, to install internet to schools in the rural areas so that the kids can actually use their tablets.
Dewi: I definitely agree with Saiyai’s opinion regarding this matter. These iPads are just too expensive (and why should they be an iPad 4?). Do they even understand how to use the iPad wisely? Indonesian people are also skeptical of how our government spends the money like the high end computer purchases they made back in 2010. I hope that the Thai government can delegates the use of these iPads well.
Lucas’s pick: Singtel Boosts Fab’s Asia Plans, Invest $10 Million
It has been a while since Singtel Innov8 has invested in a US company, it is definitely a natural fit for Fab and Singtel in Asia. The focus of Fab in 2014 will be in Asia after their recent consolidation efforts in Europe, I am looking forward to their arrival in Singapore.
Enricko’s and Steven’s pick: This Is Why Vietnam Plans To Ban Social Media Sharing of News
Enricko: This is weird. If the problem is about news piracy, then there are other ways the Vietnamese government can regulate it other than banning social media sharing. Is the problem just a ruse to a bigger scheme of things here?
Steven: Definitely the biggest – and most alarming – story of the week. China suffers from the same copy-paste online churnalism culture – the purported reason for Vietnam’s proposed ban – but not even Chinese authorities have taken such an extraordinary measure. I get the feeling the Vietnam’s netizens will be trying to get this law dismantled in the coming months.
Phoebe’s pick: WeChat and Line Are Now Asia’s Fastest-Growing Platforms For Social Marketing
Messaging apps are quickly growing. Growing in such a way that it is even becoming a platform for brand marketing. Who would have thought that messaging apps can be a platform for such? But then again, looking back, Facebook started as a social networking platform and then F-commerce quickly rose in Asia.With Line and WeChat growing at 200 percent and 500 percent, respectively, it can just become the next biggest thing that may hit the Asian m-commerce space.
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