Author: Mohamed Reehaan

Apple Inc. is reportedly working to eliminate the “hey” from “hey, Siri” in a bid to make it faster to command the digital assistant. It was reported via Bloomberg, specifically on Mark Gurnam’s weekly ‘Power On’ newsletter. This new direction by Apple is similar to Amazon’s digital assistant interaction where users can easily shout “Alexa!” instead of requiring the full wake phrase. Meanwhile, some of Google’s smart devices already allow shorter command phrases for specific ‘prompts’. This new approach might be Apple’s efforts to maintain its position among competitors that are already allowing faster interaction on their AI assistant contemporaries.

Maldives has been featured on a special episode of Wion Traveller entitled “Discovering the Maldives.” The episode that premiered on 29th October, had a repeat airing on the following day and again on Sunday, 06th November. The feature will help Maldives promote its tourism products, and market the safety and security offered to tourists. Wion, under Zee Network, was founded in 2016 with an estimated reach of 4 million viewers in India. The channel has gained a strong footing on social media platforms and through its website for travel enthusiasts. Wion Traveller meanwhile, has 5.51 million subscribers on YouTube and…

The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort, located in Baa atoll – the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve – is hosting a Korean Food Festival, that commenced on 01st November. The festival will run until 15th November where guests can “spoil their taste buds with one of the world’s finest cuisines”, reported Miriandhoo. Guest chef, Soon-ae Yang will be crafting authentic Korean delicacies, made available for dinner at Hawker – the resort’s casual outdoor dining venue. The Korean Food Festival is part of an effort by the property to present guests the chance to experience tasty and exotic cuisines from other parts of the…

W Maldives has launched a year-long vegan menu curated in collaboration with celebrity chef Priyanka Naik. The property launched this year-long specifically curated “Go W-egan” menu, which will be available in the property until October 2023. The “Modern Tiffin” author and renowned Food Network champion visited W Maldives earlier as part of the Marriott Bonvoy Moments experience. During her stay, she visited nearby local farms at Thoddoo and hand-picked ingredients to consciously develop dishes in her menu. During her stay at W Maldives, Naik collaborated with the property’s in-house chefs Baka and Rishma in creating the special menu. Additionally, Naik…

Students of Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies (FHTS), Maldives National University (MNU) have announced a tourism industry appreciation and recognition fair. Dubbed “Arutha”, the fair commemorating 50 years of Maldives tourism industry will be held at Manhattan Business Hotel’s banquet hall on 25th November 2022. A statement from FHTS students read that the with the event, the students “hope to aspire youth seeking a future in the Maldivian tourism industry, acknowledge the contributions by tourism stakeholders, travel trades and other affiliates” as well creating a memorable experience for everyone. Attendants to the event will include key tourism industry figures,…

Ooredoo Maldives reports a revenue of MVR471.2 million during 2022 third quarter. The company reports earning MVR363 million in mobile revenue, with another MVR107 million from fixed and broadband services. According to Ooredoo Maldives, its earnings increased by 1.2% when compared with preceding Q2-2022. Moreover, revenues of the company increased by 6.6% on a year-on-year basis. The company’s net profit for the review quarter is MVR127.2 million, with a 27% profit margin.

Maldives Vice President Faisal Naseem has arrived on Saturday, 05th November, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference. VP Naseem is accompanied by a high-level delegation of government officials during the visit. The UN Climate Change Conference encompasses the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27), the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP17) and the fourth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Paris Agreement (CMA4). The formal opening plenary of the conference is…

YouTube has partnered with a heavy list of streaming platforms to offer third-party subscriptions to US users directly through its platform. It has been reported that the popular streaming platform has joined hands with more than 30 different streaming services, which include Paramount+, Showtime, AMC+, Starz, IFC, Epix, Sundance Now and Vix+. The subscription and access for these platforms have been made purchasable on YouTube’s site and application via the new “Primetime Channels” feature. After users sign up for a subscription through YouTube, the content they subscribe for will be displayed and viewable alongside the standard YouTube “fare in searches…

Researchers at the University of Waterloo, Ontario have created a scanning drone that can triangulate the location of every Wi-Fi connected device inside any given residence. The researchers credited with creating this new drone, Ali Abedi and Deepak Vasisht, recently presented their findings at the 28th Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking. They had named this device ‘Wi-Peep’. The ‘Wi-Peep’ “engages in what researchers call a ‘location-revealing privacy attack’ that can manipulate the data and Wi-Fi networks and use it to ‘see through walls.’ How Does it Function? According to the researchers, the drop exploits security deficiencies in…

Telecommunication and internet service provider, Dhiraagu reported a quarterly revenue of MVR627.4 million in 2022 third quarter. According to Dhiraagu, the company’s revenue increased by 1% compared to the preceding Q2-2022. Net profit and earnings per share however, decreased by 7% versus the previous quarter owing to the increase in other income during Q2-2022. The company generated a revenue of MVR618.8 million during the second quarter. The telecom giant’s expenditure for the review quarter stood at MVR389.4 million. Its income tax expenditure for the quarter is MVR35.7 million. With this, Dhiraagu reported a net profit after tax of MVR202.3 million…