https://www.scmp.com/rss/266876/feed Before joining the Post in 2018, Karen was a writer and associate producer at CNN International, where she contributed to the award-winning Asia flagship show News Stream. She is a graduate of Duke University and University of Hong Kong. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Karen Chiu,Hannah Wang,Sam Phillips Karen Chiu,Hannah Wang,Sam Phillips Climate change could disrupt a third of the world’s semiconductor supply by 2035, as severe drought threatens the mining of copper – a critical material used in chip production – according to a new report from PwC released on Tuesday. The extraction of copper, essential for building the microscopic wires found on semiconductor circuits, requires substantial water resources. About 1,600 litres (423 gallons) of water were needed to obtain just 19kg of copper, the report said, citing data from the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3317237/third-global-chip-supply-threatened-climate-change-and-drought-2035-pwc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3317237/third-global-chip-supply-threatened-climate-change-and-drought-2035-pwc?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 06:00:14 +0000 Karen Chiu Karen Chiu Alibaba Group Holding’s international wholesale marketplace, Alibaba.com, expects all sellers on the platform to adopt its artificial intelligence (AI) tools by the end of this year, as the e-commerce giant boosts its investment in the technology. More than half of the roughly 200,000 merchants on Alibaba.com were already using its AI applications on a weekly basis, company president Zhang Kuo told the South China Morning Post in an interview on Monday. Alibaba owns the Post. Introduced in early... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3301817/alibabacom-targets-100-ai-adoption-merchants-2025-global-expansion-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3301817/alibabacom-targets-100-ai-adoption-merchants-2025-global-expansion-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:00:22 +0000 Google has added Cantonese to its Google Translate service, as part of its largest-ever expansion that saw 110 new languages being supported, aided by generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology. From Thursday, users of the app and browser versions of the Google tool can translate between 243 languages, including Cantonese, a Chinese dialect widely spoken in Hong Kong, Macau, parts of the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, as well as some Chinese migrant communities... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3268410/google-translate-now-supports-cantonese-after-its-biggest-language-expansion-driven-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3268410/google-translate-now-supports-cantonese-after-its-biggest-language-expansion-driven-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2024 06:00:17 +0000 Kelly Zhang Nan, the most powerful woman in ByteDance, has stepped down as CEO of the Douyin business unit that includes the Chinese version of TikTok, as well as other signature products such as news aggregator Jinri Toutiao. Citing “business development needs and personal preferences”, Zhang will focus on CapCut, a video-editing and graphic design app, according to an internal letter sent by ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo on Wednesday and seen by the Post. “Artificial intelligence (AI) technology... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3251242/douyin-ceo-kelly-zhang-steps-down-head-tiktoks-chinese-version-focus-bytedance-video-editor-capcut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3251242/douyin-ceo-kelly-zhang-steps-down-head-tiktoks-chinese-version-focus-bytedance-video-editor-capcut?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Feb 2024 07:30:58 +0000 Hangzhou, the capital of China’s eastern Zhejiang province, has vowed to support the local integrated circuit (IC) industry amid the country’s growing technological rivalry with the US. The Hangzhou government will “encourage integrated circuit companies to take the lead in undertaking national and provincial technological research tasks, and support major national and provincial projects that have been approved”, according to a policy announcement by the city on Tuesday. Hangzhou, home to some... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3210330/us-china-tech-war-alibabas-hometown-vows-support-integrated-circuit-industry-other-hard-technologies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3210330/us-china-tech-war-alibabas-hometown-vows-support-integrated-circuit-industry-other-hard-technologies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Feb 2023 13:30:08 +0000 Bilibili, the Shanghai-based online entertainment company, debuted on the Hong Kong stock exchange on March 26. It marks the company’s second listing after it went public on the Nasdaq in 2018.  One of the few companies to count both Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding, the owner of the South China Morning Post, as backers, Bilibili has often been described as China’s answer to YouTube.  What is Bilibili?  Bilibili, which markets itself as the online home for fans of anime, comics and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128347/what-bilibili-how-it-makes-money-and-whats-next-chinas-youtube?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128347/what-bilibili-how-it-makes-money-and-whats-next-chinas-youtube?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Apr 2021 18:00:11 +0000 With US sanctions putting a chokehold on Huawei Technologies Co’s 5G and smartphone businesses, company founder Ren Zhengfei said the Chinese tech giant must make cloud computing its priority. In an internal speech delivered in November and shared on a staff forum two days before the new year, Ren admitted that cloud services had not been a strength and the firm needed to make a “breakthrough”. “It is impossible for us to simply follow the same path as Alibaba and Amazon … They have access to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-leaders-and-founders/article/3116243/huawei-looks-cloud-services-2021-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-leaders-and-founders/article/3116243/huawei-looks-cloud-services-2021-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Jan 2021 11:00:19 +0000 Breaking with tradition, Hong Kong’s dominant television broadcaster TVB will ring in the new year by airing a New Year’s Eve event put on by Chinese online video platform Bilibili after the typical fireworks display over Victoria Harbour was cancelled this year. The 4.5-hour-long show touts a star-studded cast that includes piano superstar Lang Lang and Hong Kong heartthrob Nicholas Tse. It will also feature live events in Beijing, Wuhan and Taipei, according to a commercial for the event. For... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3115675/hong-kongs-tvb-broadcast-mainland-streamer-bilibilis-new-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3115675/hong-kongs-tvb-broadcast-mainland-streamer-bilibilis-new-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Dec 2020 23:45:12 +0000 If technology is baffling and you need help in choosing the perfect Christmas gift. We’ve got you covered. Tech reporters from the South China Morning Post have spent all year “playing” with some of the latest, greatest gadgets and gizmos.  Here are their favorites (all prices are for reference only): This Macbook Air has hit a winning nerve with our staunchest PC-loving editor. I have only ever owned two Apple products – a MacBook Pro and iPad Pro – until the new M1 Macbooks were announced.... https://www.scmp.com/tech/last-minute-christmas-gift-guide-tech-lovers/article/3114958?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/last-minute-christmas-gift-guide-tech-lovers/article/3114958?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Dec 2020 11:02:42 +0000 The holidays are almost here. Still looking for last-minute gifts? Our tech reporters have spent the past year experimenting with various gizmos, gadgets and games. From the priciest to the cheapest, here are our favourites. (All prices are for reference only.) 1. MacBook Air - US$999 Some of us are dedicated Windows and Android users, not Apple fans. That includes one of our editors. But this year’s new Apple laptop has won him over: “I have only ever owned two Apple products – a MacBook Pro... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3114376/eight-christmas-gift-ideas-tech-lovers-2020?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3114376/eight-christmas-gift-ideas-tech-lovers-2020?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Dec 2020 23:00:16 +0000 Esports will become an official medal event in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in 2022, marking a first for the multi-sports tournament and a major step forward for competitive gaming. The move was confirmed by the Hangzhou organising committee on its Weibo account on Wednesday. Esports was first included as a demonstration sport at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. Six titles were featured: Arena of Valor, Hearthstone, League of Legends, StarCraft II, Clash Royale and Pro Evolution... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3114298/esports-debuts-official-medal-event-hangzhou-2022-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3114298/esports-debuts-official-medal-event-hangzhou-2022-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2020 05:58:37 +0000 Live-streaming has become such a normal part of the online shopping experience in China that even the government started recognising “live-stream salesperson” as an official profession this year. Now one of Alibaba Group Holding’s e-commerce platforms says it wants to help people who are deaf or mute get into the business. Alibaba is the parent company of the South China Morning Post. Live-streaming shopping sessions are typically full of chatty sales pitches. But in a nearly two-hour session on... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3112581/alibaba-experiments-basic-captions-deaf-live-streaming-e-commerce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3112581/alibaba-experiments-basic-captions-deaf-live-streaming-e-commerce?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Dec 2020 00:00:10 +0000 Live streamers in China and their gift-giving fans are now required to register with their real names following new rules unveiled by the country’s media regulators on Monday. The rules also prevent minors from spending money in live streams. Under the new directive from the National Radio and Television Administration, internet platforms are now responsible for setting a cap on the tips that each user can give. People under 18 years old are banned from giving gifts to live streamers altogether.... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3111177/china-orders-live-streamers-and-gift-giving-fans-register-real-names?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3111177/china-orders-live-streamers-and-gift-giving-fans-register-real-names?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Nov 2020 11:00:39 +0000 When Parklu co-founder and CEO Kim Leitzes first pitched her start-up idea – a marketplace for online influencers – in 2014, most investors were sceptical. Would people really buy an expensive handbag just because they saw a stranger carrying it on social media? As it turns out, many would. Top-tier online influencers, or key opinion leaders (KOLs) as they are called in China can rake in tens of millions of dollars in sales in a day just by talking in front of the camera. Live-streaming star... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3110192/meet-kim-leitzes-us-born-female-entrepreneur-behind-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3110192/meet-kim-leitzes-us-born-female-entrepreneur-behind-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2020 14:00:21 +0000 In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, companies have been shifting more of their work online. But they still need millions more cybersecurity professionals to protect their critical assets, an industry group said in a recent report. While the world’s cybersecurity workforce grew by 25 per cent this year to 3.5 million people, there is still a shortage of more than 3 million workers, according to a survey conducted by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, or... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3109383/world-faces-shortage-3-million-cybersecurity-professionals-mostly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3109383/world-faces-shortage-3-million-cybersecurity-professionals-mostly?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Nov 2020 10:00:09 +0000 Subor, the creator of China’s most iconic video game consoles in the 1980s, has become the subject of a bankruptcy petition, according to a court document filing made public on Thursday. It marks the latest blow to the once-popular brand that gave Chinese children an early taste of Super Mario Bros. and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles before most families could afford imported Nintendo machines. Detailed information about the petition, filed to Zhongshan Intermediate People’s Court, was not... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3109039/bootleg-gaming-console-maker-subor-faces-bankruptcy-frontman-barred?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3109039/bootleg-gaming-console-maker-subor-faces-bankruptcy-frontman-barred?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Nov 2020 09:00:27 +0000 Has the world’s biggest shopping day become too elaborate for its own good? Chinese e-commerce giants that revel in the annual retail ritual on November 11 may disagree, but NetEase says it has had enough. In a manifesto published on Wednesday, a week before the shopping bonanza, the internet behemoth announced, “This Singles’ Day, we are quitting the battle.” Quit might be an exaggeration. The company’s shopping platform, NetEase Yanxuan, said it still plans to bring consumers “the year’s... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3108586/quitting-singles-day-netease-platform-decries-complicated-gimmicks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3108586/quitting-singles-day-netease-platform-decries-complicated-gimmicks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Nov 2020 10:45:17 +0000 June Lai and Josh Wright wished they could take their iPhones with them wherever they went. But the outdoor enthusiasts knew the devices wouldn’t survive the places they regularly visit… like mountains, canyons and beaches.  “We’re using our iPhones for our route guides for rock climbing. They are obviously used for navigation and communication, but we really couldn’t use them in the climbing cracks,” Wright told me in their office in Hong Kong.  The potential hazards ranged from dropping the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/how-two-outdoor-adventurers-built-accessory-apple-didnt-know-it-wanted/article/3108616?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/how-two-outdoor-adventurers-built-accessory-apple-didnt-know-it-wanted/article/3108616?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Nov 2020 09:39:29 +0000 As TikTok gains prominence globally, the leaders of its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance are also attracting more attention. ByteDance China CEO Kelly Zhang, for instance, has appeared on Fortune magazine’s international list of the 50 most powerful women in business for the first time this year. Zhang, who joined ByteDance in 2014 and was promoted to head the company’s China business in March this year, was ranked 45th on the annual list which highlights the most powerful women in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-leaders-and-founders/article/3107588/tiktok-owner-bytedances-china-head-debuts-fortunes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-leaders-and-founders/article/3107588/tiktok-owner-bytedances-china-head-debuts-fortunes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Oct 2020 06:30:18 +0000 Outside an entrance marked by towering wooden doors, three armoured warriors in conical hats kept guard. Inside, visitors in ancient garb walked on plush Chinese carpets to the front hall, passing rows of stately armchairs. On the stage, flanked by calligraphy scrolls and ornamental dragons, an invited scholar was about to start his lecture. His topic? An introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning. The occasion was the International Conference on Distributed Artificial... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3107279/netease-game-justice-holds-worlds-first-ai-conference-taking-place-hit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3107279/netease-game-justice-holds-worlds-first-ai-conference-taking-place-hit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Oct 2020 18:00:21 +0000 Among Us is one of America’s latest obsessions. But in China, there is nothing especially novel about the breakout indie video game, except for its name. As influencers and politicians discover the hot new multiplayer game for the first time, Chinese players are reacting with a collective yawn. When hundreds of thousands of viewers on Tuesday tuned into the first Twitch stream of US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez playing Among Us, the novelty appeared lost on gamers in China. “So Among... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3106467/among-us-taking-world-storm-its-just-space-werewolf-gamers-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3106467/among-us-taking-world-storm-its-just-space-werewolf-gamers-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Oct 2020 18:00:06 +0000 A deepfake face-swapping tool, which can superimpose anyone’s face into scenes from films, was ordered to disappear in China earlier this year, according to the country’s internet watchdog. It joins dozens of other apps and websites that have come under fire from authorities, including an online school accused of encouraging teenage romance. In its latest progress report, the Cyberspace Administration of China said it ordered the removal of a number of apps accused of “disseminating politically... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3106284/censorship-sweep-punishes-deepfake-app-reface-and-online-school-xueersi-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3106284/censorship-sweep-punishes-deepfake-app-reface-and-online-school-xueersi-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Oct 2020 22:45:08 +0000 Addiction is an age old problem, but having trouble peeling yourself away from your smartphone is a uniquely 21st century headache. And it turns out that just how badly a person is hooked on their mobile devices could be related to sex, income and education. Male Beijingers are more prone to suffering from mobile phone addiction than females, according to the latest issue of the Blue Book of Beijing Social Mentality, an annual study published by the Social Sciences Academic Press (China). Phone... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3106092/smartphone-addiction-more-prevalent-among-men-and-parents-many?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3106092/smartphone-addiction-more-prevalent-among-men-and-parents-many?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Oct 2020 14:30:17 +0000 China woke up on Wednesday morning to its first look at Apple’s newest smartphones. Various hashtags related to the iPhone 12 were trending on social media, but one in particular drew outrage: “iPhone 12 does not include earphones and charger”. Apple launches iPhone 12 line with 5G speeds, new screens The Californian tech giant announced that the iPhone 12 and existing older models will no longer ship with wired earphones and wall chargers, allowing for smaller packaging. This, according to... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3105474/iphone-12-launching-without-earbuds-or-wall-chargers-compared-eating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3105474/iphone-12-launching-without-earbuds-or-wall-chargers-compared-eating?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2020 11:00:09 +0000 The perfect emoji speaks louder than words, but finding the right one among the more than 3,000 that exist can be difficult. Now a group of researchers discovered a new way to help people find the emoji that best matches their facial expressions, no typing or talking required. And it could have applications beyond just expressive texting. The invention, created by a team from Cornell University, involves an earphone or headphone system called C-Face. Cameras are attached to each earpiece,... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3105322/earphone-wearables-designed-cornell-convert-facial-expressions-emoji?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3105322/earphone-wearables-designed-cornell-convert-facial-expressions-emoji?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2020 03:00:12 +0000 Illegal drug deals are typically surreptitious operations, but Chinese police said they managed to catch one in action using a drone. In a video shared with state broadcaster CCTV, authorities in the southern city of Guilin were shown trying to tail a suspected drug dealer. But instead of sending officers on the road, they deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle. The operation led them to an abandoned brick factory, where a customer was already waiting in a car. The suspects were seen to be... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3105181/police-drone-busts-alleged-drug-deal-china-after-tailing-suspect-and-filming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3105181/police-drone-busts-alleged-drug-deal-china-after-tailing-suspect-and-filming?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2020 02:00:10 +0000 Russel Zeng lives in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. But Google Chrome is his window to the world. From his office in the city often called the Silicon Valley of China, the tech worker reads English news sites in Google’s web browser on his computer. With FireShot, one of the myriad free browser extensions available on Chrome, he takes screenshots of articles that he finds useful and shares them with his colleagues. To improve his English writing, he uses the Grammarly extension to check... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3103747/google-chrome-remains-chinas-most-popular-web-browser-even-google?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3103747/google-chrome-remains-chinas-most-popular-web-browser-even-google?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2020 03:00:17 +0000 If you need to convince someone to let you cosy up at home and play games instead of going out, tell them it’s better for the planet. But don’t stream those games from the cloud if you want to really minimise your carbon footprint. Compared with people who use transport to go to the cinema or play sports, consumers who stay indoors and play PlayStation games produce fewer carbon emissions, according to a Sony-sponsored academic study. Conducted at the University of Surrey and based on data in... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3103488/cloud-gaming-playstation-titles-generates-more-carbon-emissions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3103488/cloud-gaming-playstation-titles-generates-more-carbon-emissions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2020 13:34:52 +0000 “Where do babies come from?” can be one of the most vexing but important questions that a child can ask. One teacher in China reportedly volunteered to give an answer to her primary school class, but not everyone appreciated the candour. One parent ranted online about the sex education lesson, and it kicked off a viral debate on social media. The complaint was captured by the Chinese television channel Hubei Jinshi. “My daughter came home and told me that her class teacher taught them about the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3102832/teacher-explains-pregnancy-kids-china-and-viral-online-debate-about?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3102832/teacher-explains-pregnancy-kids-china-and-viral-online-debate-about?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2020 00:35:13 +0000 An investigation by Facebook and a partner analytics firm has detailed how a network of social accounts from China tried to interfere with online political debate on hot-button topics ranging from the South China Sea to US politics. Internet experts said the findings indicate an increasingly forthright attempt by Beijing to shape global discussion on the country’s policies and its relations with others, regardless of whether these tactics actually work. “China’s propaganda campaigns conducted... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3102672/how-chinese-network-fake-facebook-accounts-influenced-online-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3102672/how-chinese-network-fake-facebook-accounts-influenced-online-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2020 10:30:11 +0000 Surfing the internet used to be simple: we got online using either a computer or smartphone. But the arrival of smartwatches, smart speakers and countless other new gadgets in the Internet of Things has made users more connected than ever. And now that is threatening to widen the digital divide between China’s children in urban and rural areas. More than 99 per cent of the country’s population under 18 now has access to the internet, according to an annual study by the Chinese Academy of Social... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3102524/smartphones-bridged-digital-divide-chinas-urban-and-rural-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3102524/smartphones-bridged-digital-divide-chinas-urban-and-rural-children?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2020 03:05:14 +0000 A California judge has blocked the Trump administration from imposing a US ban on downloads of WeChat, the super app owned and operated by Tencent Holdings, hours before that executive order was to be implemented on Sunday. The move gave temporary relief to WeChat’s growing number of US users, who depend on the app for work as well as staying in touch with friends and relatives in China. In her ruling dated Saturday in the US, Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler of the US District Court for the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3102365/what-us-users-can-expect-after-trumps-ban-wechat-was-suspended?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3102365/what-us-users-can-expect-after-trumps-ban-wechat-was-suspended?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2020 21:00:10 +0000 The PlayStation 5 is launching worldwide in November, but not in mainland China. That’s why dedicated Chinese gamers are already plotting how to get their hands on grey market imports. In other parts of Asia, the next generation Sony console hits shelves on November 12 in Japan and South Korea and November 19 in most other places, including Hong Kong. But a launch date for mainland China is conspicuously missing. The PlayStation announcement notes, “Availability in each country [is] subject to... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3101916/sony-playstation-5-launch-has-console-gamers-china-scrambling-grey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3101916/sony-playstation-5-launch-has-console-gamers-china-scrambling-grey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2020 17:00:15 +0000 Most carmakers today are keeping their eyes on the road, but not Geely. The Chinese manufacturer’s latest vehicle is an electric drone. The X-Chimera 25 is built by Chinese drone maker AOSSCI. The start-up recently merged with US-based flying car developer Terrafugia, which Geely acquired in 2017. The resulting joint venture, known as Aerofugia, hopes to eventually introduce a hybrid car that travels on the road and flies like a plane. Geely has also invested in German air taxi developer... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3101768/volvo-owner-geely-chinas-bestselling-carmaker-selling-drones-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3101768/volvo-owner-geely-chinas-bestselling-carmaker-selling-drones-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2020 03:05:15 +0000 Nitin Murarka doesn’t own a Realme smartphone. But the university student is so impressed with the brand that he founded a Facebook group called Realme India, which has more than 12,000 members. Most of them are owners of Realme handsets or people who are actively considering buying one. “Though I don‘t have a Realme device, it is definitely my favourite brand as of now,” said Murarka, an aspiring journalist who works for a wholesale business for plastic goods in the eastern city of Muzaffarpur.... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3101227/realme-taking-xiaomis-redmi-and-poco-budget-brands-winning-devoted-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3101227/realme-taking-xiaomis-redmi-and-poco-budget-brands-winning-devoted-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2020 03:05:16 +0000 Gaming furniture used to be niche. But now Ikea is getting in on the action in a sign that the category is going mainstream. The Swedish company plans to launch its first products made specifically for gamers starting in China next year. To take on this project, Ikea teamed up with the Asus brand Republic of Gamers (ROG). Taiwan’s Asus already offers a line of gaming equipment such as desktops, laptops and keyboards. The new collaboration will see the launch of about 30 pieces of ergonomic... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3101584/ikea-and-asus-rog-team-launch-gaming-furniture-and-accessories-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3101584/ikea-and-asus-rog-team-launch-gaming-furniture-and-accessories-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2020 11:30:15 +0000 US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on Friday that it seized 2,000 counterfeit Apple earbuds shipped from Hong Kong. But photos it provided show they could actually be real products from OnePlus, a legitimate Chinese gadget brand. The boxes of the earbuds clearly indicate that they are OnePlus Buds, as first reported by American tech news outlet The Verge. OnePlus is a Shenzhen-based smartphone brand owned by BBK Electronics, which also owns Oppo and Vivo. The company’s new earbuds... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3101454/us-customs-seizes-counterfeit-apple-airpods-hong-kong-photos-show-boxes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3101454/us-customs-seizes-counterfeit-apple-airpods-hong-kong-photos-show-boxes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2020 10:35:17 +0000 Jack Ma might be retired from his role as Alibaba’s executive chairman, but that doesn’t mean he’s moving away from the limelight. On Wednesday night, the billionaire founder of Alibaba appeared as a surprise guest in a live-streaming session featuring Chinese pop diva Faye Wong. The 51-year-old superstar, famous for her breathy voice, is a household name in Chinese communities across the globe. In the West, she’s best known for starring in the cult classic film Chungking Express, from Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3101019/alibaba-founder-jack-ma-joins-canto-pop-queen-faye-wong-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3101019/alibaba-founder-jack-ma-joins-canto-pop-queen-faye-wong-live?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2020 00:50:10 +0000 Ever since Hong Kong adopted a national security law passed by Beijing on July 1, most social platforms in mainland China have been awash in articles and comments praising the arrests of political activists. But on one widely-used book review site, a publication detailing the new legislation was swamped with bad reviews before the rating function was removed altogether. An archived page from Douban shows that the book, published by the state-owned China Legal Publishing House, had a score of 2.5... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3100813/chinas-popular-review-site-douban-hides-reviews-book-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3100813/chinas-popular-review-site-douban-hides-reviews-book-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2020 03:05:18 +0000 The Chinese version of TikTok, another ByteDance-owned app called Douyin, has banned the account of a user who live-streamed himself harassing women on the street. Internet users became aware of the video on Friday after a clip was shared on Weibo. In it, a man was seen approaching various young women on a busy street at night. He was repeatedly ignored but kept pressing on. “Hi pretty woman, can you let me kiss you?” the man asked from behind the camera, keeping his phone pointed at a woman who... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3100642/douyin-chinas-tiktok-permanently-bans-live-streamer-who-verbally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3100642/douyin-chinas-tiktok-permanently-bans-live-streamer-who-verbally?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2020 01:20:18 +0000 A Chinese city’s plan to score citizens by how “civil” they are has prompted comparisons to Black Mirror and China’s last imperial dynasty. Authorities in the eastern city of Suzhou, west of Shanghai, introduced a new function designed to measure a person’s civic performance. The new “Sucheng Wenmingma”, which roughly translates as “Suzhou Civility Code”, aims to encourage people to follow traffic rules, take part in voluntary services, sort their trash and do other things that make them model... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3100516/suzhou-city-takes-page-chinas-social-credit-system-civility-code-rates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3100516/suzhou-city-takes-page-chinas-social-credit-system-civility-code-rates?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2020 01:20:07 +0000 When India banned TikTok in June, some PUBG Mobile players experienced a sense of schadenfreude. The blockbuster smartphone game, despite being published by Chinese tech titan Tencent, was spared from the original list. But gamers have now run out of luck. Late on Wednesday, India issued a sweeping ban on PUBG Mobile, PUBG Mobile Lite and 116 additional apps. The government’s move riled gamers and streamers who rushed to the internet to discuss a future without their favourite title. #pubgban... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3100055/pubg-mobile-players-and-streamers-mourn-indias-ban-tencent-smartphone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3100055/pubg-mobile-players-and-streamers-mourn-indias-ban-tencent-smartphone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2020 07:15:34 +0000 In most of the world, Disney’s Mulan is skipping cinemas and heading straight to the Disney+ streaming platform. But in China, the film is finally getting a theatrical debut on September 11 after months of delays. The remake of Disney’s beloved 1998 animated film, featuring a Chinese warrior woman, is the first live-action epic from the House of Mouse starring a Chinese actress in the lead role. The story is based on ancient Chinese folklore, but many people in the country lamented the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3099913/disneys-live-action-mulan-finally-debuts-chinese-cinemas-september?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3099913/disneys-live-action-mulan-finally-debuts-chinese-cinemas-september?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2020 12:20:11 +0000 China’s most famous science fiction novel has been praised by the likes of former US President Barack Obama and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. But Chinese readers are still worried that a new adaptation announced by Netflix could be modified to better fit Western tastes. Netflix said on Tuesday that it’s bringing an English-language adaptation of The Three-Body Problem to its streaming platform. The production team includes David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the co-creators of HBO’s widely popular... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3099856/netflix-adaptation-liu-cixins-three-body-problem-faces-skepticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3099856/netflix-adaptation-liu-cixins-three-body-problem-faces-skepticism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2020 08:05:15 +0000 Less than a year ago, 5G was still a luxury. But now consumers in China can buy a 5G smartphone for less than US$150. The affordable device comes from Realme, a spin-off of Oppo and a sister company of Vivo and OnePlus. Two years since its launch, Realme has already become one of the most popular smartphone brands in India thanks to its range of budget handsets. Its latest budget phone in China is the Realme V3 5G, which is powered by the mid-tier MediaTek 5G chipset Dimensity 720. At a starting... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3099730/oppo-spin-realme-unveils-sub-us150-5g-smartphone-china-thats-cheaper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3099730/oppo-spin-realme-unveils-sub-us150-5g-smartphone-china-thats-cheaper?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2020 09:50:13 +0000 When the novel coronavirus first struck China, government efforts to control online discussions were mostly focused on domestic politics. But as the pandemic spread across the globe, US-related topics have borne the brunt of WeChat’s censorship, a new study found. WeChat, the app that does everything Between January and May, researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab found that the Chinese app blocked more than 2,000 keywords related to Covid-19. Tencent, the owner of WeChat, did not... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3099227/chinas-wechat-censored-thousands-keywords-tied-coronavirus-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3099227/chinas-wechat-censored-thousands-keywords-tied-coronavirus-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2020 08:35:05 +0000 Using small drones to deliver packages straight to your door isn’t a new idea: businesses from Amazon to UPS are already experimenting with the technology. But now the company that owns China’s largest express delivery service is taking the concept further. SF Holdings said it successfully completed a trial of the country’s first unmanned cargo flight in northwest China last Friday. Unlike some companies that are testing small delivery drones to drop off a single package at nearby locations,... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3098798/sf-holdings-wants-plane-size-cargo-drones-deliver-goods-rural-areas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3098798/sf-holdings-wants-plane-size-cargo-drones-deliver-goods-rural-areas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2020 00:35:11 +0000 A TikTok rival has scored a powerful partner in India just weeks after the Chinese app was banned in the country. Triller, the US-based short video app, announced on Monday that it’s teaming up with JioSaavn. The Indian music streaming service is owned by Jio Platforms, which also owns the country’s biggest telecom provider with some 380 million subscribers – three times the population of Japan. Under the partnership, users can create Triller videos directly on the JioSaavn app, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3098728/trump-approved-triller-woos-indias-tiktok-fans-partnering-reliances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3098728/trump-approved-triller-woos-indias-tiktok-fans-partnering-reliances?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2020 09:01:00 +0000 Fall Guys is officially coming to smartphones … in China. Chinese online video giant Bilibili recently announced that it’s bringing a mobile version of the global breakout hit to its home market. The game is currently available for preregistration on Bilibili’s game platform. As of Monday morning, more than 130,000 users have expressed interests. Bilibili, China’s biggest anime site, covers the screen in user comments Bilibili says it will be the Fall Guys mobile publisher in China, but there’s... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3098564/bilibili-bringing-fall-guys-china-mobile-game-following-battle-royales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3098564/bilibili-bringing-fall-guys-china-mobile-game-following-battle-royales?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2020 08:35:09 +0000 DJI is the most popular drone brand in the world, with over 70 per cent of the market last year. But in India, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to fly drones made by the Chinese giant. Starting this month, Indian authorities have opened more than two-thirds of the country’s land to consumer drones. This finally gives India’s drone enthusiasts a way to legally fly in a large swath of the country after an abrupt ban on consumer drones in 2014. But not all drones are equal in the eyes of Indian... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3098176/india-opens-more-its-sky-consumer-drones-most-chinas-dji-dont?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3098176/india-opens-more-its-sky-consumer-drones-most-chinas-dji-dont?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2020 04:35:11 +0000