9 Apps to Improve Your 2018 Asian Games Experience
Jakarta. With the 18th Asian Games underway in Jakarta and South Sumatra's Palembang, spectators and participants need to consider many factors and variables to make the most of the event.
Essentials like transportation routes, event schedules, possible communication hindrances in international interactions, ticketing and weather forecasts can be dynamic and can be affected by last-minute changes.
Luckily, the Games' committee and enterprising companies have provided accessible means of maximizing navigation efficiency in the form of mobile apps. Here are nine such applications for your smartphone.
18th Asian Games Official App
The official Asian Games 2018 app gives information on match schedules, results, medal counts, athlete profiles and up-to-date news from both the Jakarta and Palembang venues. This integrated app features make it a highly convenient tool for an invested Asian Games spectator.
The app is available in Indonesian, English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. If downloaded from the App Store, it takes up 70.7 MB of space and requires iOS 8.0, while its Google Play counterpart requires 20 MB of space.
Asian Games 2018 SICS
Another official app made exclusively for the Asian Games' athletes, officials and committees, provides more specific information, as well as easy and secure means for making appointments with other participants, spreading information or announcements, and requesting help from relevant authorities.
If downloaded from the App Store, the Asian Games 2018 SICS takes up 27.6 MB and requires iOS 10.0. Its Android counterpart takes up 6.2 MB of space and requires Android 4.4 or newer to operate.
Bibli
E-commerce app Bibli is also an official distributor of Asian Games tickets. The integration of these purchases with its storewide discount and coupon deals may make it a cheaper and more rewarding source of tickets for long-time customers. Combined with periodic restocking, Bibli is a good alternative when offline ticket distributors run out of stock.
AG Pay 2018
AG Pay is the 2018 Asian Games' official app for digital, cashless payments using mobile phones. For locals, an extra layer of convenience is added through its connections with Mandiri, BRI and BNI bank accounts. Merchants operating within the Games' venues will accept the app as a payment method, although it may have limited use outside the event's main venues.
Using the app may entail one to occasional discounts on products and services, as well as a degree of integration which provides users with access to the Asian Games' schedule, news and event details.
On Google Play, the app requires at least Android 4.4 and takes up 7.5 MB of space. Downloaded from the App Store, it takes up 27 MB of space and requires iOS 10.0 or newer to operate.
Moovit
A highly popular navigation app, Moovit, launched operations in Indonesia in 2015 and now serves 16 cities with real-time tracking of passenger cars belonging to transportation companies such as TransJakarta, DAMRI Airport, KRL Commuter Line, Trans Metro Bandung, Trans Semarang, Batik Solo Trans, Trans Batam.
The company has extensive experience as a mobility partner of such sporting events as the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Rio Olympics, among many others. This time, it is supporting the 2018 Asian Games with features such as live guidance and alerts, as well as real-time updates on delays and arrival schedules.
On the App Store, Moovit requires 153.7 MB of space and at least iOS 9.0. On Android, its size and requirements vary depending on the device used.
Go-Jek and Grab
With Uber gone from the country earlier this year, Go-Jek and Grab are now the de-facto rulers in online ride-hailing services. Functionally, they are identical with Uber, allowing users to call the nearest drivers to pick them up and take them to their desired destination. Their services include the nimble motorcycle taxi, or ojek — the locals' favorite to squeeze through Jakarta's notorious traffic jams.
For the Asian Games spectators who are unwilling to use public transportation, or want to go to locations outside its reach, online ride-hailing service are invaluable.
Always remember to take safety precautions such as ensuring the driver is the person in the app's profile, and always mind the security of your belongings while on board.
On the App Store, Go-Jek requires at least iOS 9.0 and takes up 121.5 MB of space, while Grab takes up 117.4 MB with identical system requirements.
Before Babel Brigade (bbb)
Before Babel Brigade is a translation services company from Korea, which recently launched its Indonesian operations under the name of bbb Indonesia. Staffed by 500 volunteers at the time of its inauguration, bbb Indonesia translates to eight languages: Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Thai and Vietnamese.
The app allows users to connect with a volunteer translator who will provide live translation of the desired information, ensuring that contextual and similarly invisible communicative cues are considered. This also allows users to converse with people whose languages they don't understand, as the volunteer translator can arbitrate and convey both parties' messages to each other.
Like Moovit, Before Babel Brigade has experience with supporting sporting events, including the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and FIFA 2014 in Brazil. Thus, far from being a fledgling, experimental model, bbb's unique services is a tried and proven asset, which could greatly enhance one's experience of the 2018 Asian Games.
BMKG Smart Weather Apps
Produced by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and Esri Indonesia, the weather app was launched to support the Games with real-time weather data for Jakarta and Palembang.
Geographic information systems (GIS) and location-tracking apps are used to obtain complete and detailed data on weather and climate, helping manage and maintain the safety of the Asian Games' weather-dependent events, like swimming or paragliding. Esri Indonesia provides its cloud computational data to further refine the accuracy of BMKG's data, allowing officials, participants and spectators to make informed decisions.
BMKG also records pollution levels and smoke haze risks.
With Indonesia's drastic shifts in weather, from scorching heat to heavy rains, weather apps can significantly improve your experience by helping to predict the caprices of meteorological conditions.
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