https://www.scmp.com/rss/506035/feed Abacus - providing the best coverage of China tech news from companies news and insights to internet trends to gaming and gadget reviews. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A leading Chinese solar panel maker has leased space for its first US factory in another win for the Biden administration’s efforts to build up the nation’s clean energy manufacturing base. JA Solar Technology will build a US$60 million panel plant in Phoenix with plans to be operational by the fourth quarter of this year, the company said in a press statement issued by the Arizona Commerce Authority. The plant will be able to produce 2 gigawatts (GW) of panels a year once fully functional, it... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3206506/chinese-solar-firm-plans-us-factory-boon-biden-energy-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3206506/chinese-solar-firm-plans-us-factory-boon-biden-energy-push?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jan 2023 03:19:55 +0000 Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest memory chip maker, said profit dropped by more than two-thirds last quarter in its worst fall in more than a decade, as an economic slowdown pummelled prices and demand for IT gadgets and servers. Operating profit fell 69 per cent to 4.3 trillion won (US$3.4 billion) for the three months ended December, according to a company statement, missing the average estimate of 6.7 trillion won by analysts. Sales fell to 70 trillion won. Samsung is slated to... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3205773/samsung-profit-tumbles-69-cent-historic-drop-memory-chip-price-slump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3205773/samsung-profit-tumbles-69-cent-historic-drop-memory-chip-price-slump?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jan 2023 02:03:01 +0000 Meetings between China’s top economic planning agency and US multinationals show Beijing is prioritising economic growth and is eager to woo foreign investors and restore market confidence following the 20th party congress, an economist says. On Wednesday, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) met with a delegation of US business representatives led by Craig Allen, president of the US-China Business Council. The discussions revolved around economic and trade cooperation between... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3200133/china-meets-us-firms-including-exxonmobil-boeing-and-cargill-it-seeks-restore-market-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3200133/china-meets-us-firms-including-exxonmobil-boeing-and-cargill-it-seeks-restore-market-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Nov 2022 16:00:13 +0000 Shanghai’s authorities ordered several districts in China’s commercial hub into partial lockdowns, as health officials sealed off neighbourhoods including the area around ByteDance’s head office to contain an outbreak of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 pandemic. Dozens of neighbourhoods across Shanghai’s 16 administrative districts had been cordoned off, and residents ordered to undergo mandatory tests. Only Chongming island and Jinshan in the southwestern corner of the city of almost 25... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3170011/bytedances-shanghai-tower-under-lockdown-city-seals-dozens-areas-hold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3170011/bytedances-shanghai-tower-under-lockdown-city-seals-dozens-areas-hold?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Mar 2022 12:50:45 +0000 Didi Global is in talks to launch its initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong in the second quarter, as China’s dominant ride-hailing company prepares to exit the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), according to two sources familiar with the matter. Didi’s bankers have had preliminary discussions with the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) before submitting the A1 form to officially apply to list on the exchange, according to the sources, requesting anonymity for discussing a matter... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3163075/didi-talks-second-quarter-ipo-hong-kong-its-way-delisting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3163075/didi-talks-second-quarter-ipo-hong-kong-its-way-delisting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jan 2022 07:28:46 +0000 China’s three leading electric vehicle (EV) start-ups posted a record number of deliveries for November, amid a surge in demand for premium EVs. Guangzhou-based Xpeng Motors delivered 15,613 vehicles last month, a jump of 270 per cent from a year ago. Shanghai-headquartered NIO reported 10,878 deliveries for the month, more than doubling last year’s number, and Beijing-based Li Auto delivered 13,485 EVs, a surge of 190 per cent year on year. The delivery of 10,000 or more cars a month is viewed... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3158060/leading-chinese-ev-trio-xpeng-nio-and-li-auto-post-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3158060/leading-chinese-ev-trio-xpeng-nio-and-li-auto-post-record?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Dec 2021 12:30:26 +0000 The uncertainty over central banks’ policy responses to get the global economy on track in the post-Covid-19 era is causing inflation worries to rise, leading investors to look for higher returns, banking and finance experts told the China Conference organised by the Post.   Sectors such as health tech, electric vehicles, companies that embrace environment, social and governance (ESG) principles and cryptocurrency assets could yield attractive returns and cushion the blow from inflation on... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3137554/sustainable-investing-bitcoin-and-health-tech-could-offer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3137554/sustainable-investing-bitcoin-and-health-tech-could-offer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jun 2021 13:19:29 +0000 The complete withdrawal of US and allied forces from Afghanistan later this year does not mean China will be able to establish its influence in the region or fill the security vacuum left by Washington, analysts have said.  Instead, the withdrawal and the uncertain security situation it poses, including the likelihood of a civil war, is likely to challenge China’s economic interests in the country and may even threaten security within China’s own borders, in the northwestern Xinjiang region... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3131837/biden-leaves-china-xinjiang-terrorism-problem-us-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3131837/biden-leaves-china-xinjiang-terrorism-problem-us-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 May 2021 09:00:08 +0000 Outside a residential compound in the Longhua district in southern China’s technology metropolis Shenzhen, home to some of the country’s most advanced companies, a quiet revolution is unfolding. A green, giant recycling bin outside the delivery room of the compound receives discarded cartons, plastic wrappings and packaging of nearly 1,000 parcels on an average day. Operated by Cainiao, the logistics arm of Alibaba Group Holding, the recycle bin and the delivery room are among 80,000 established... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3131788/chinas-carbo-neutral-goal-cainiao-jdcom-and-online-retailers-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3131788/chinas-carbo-neutral-goal-cainiao-jdcom-and-online-retailers-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 May 2021 02:00:20 +0000 Smart helmet maker Shenzhen Qianhai Livall loT Technology is in talks with China’s leading food delivery firms about intelligent helmets that will improve the safety of their riders. A major maker of such helmets globally, the company was founded in 2014. It started with the manufacture of smart sports helmets before gradually extending production to urban road motorcycle helmets. “Growing demand for online food delivery services in recent years has increased concerns about their deliverymen’s... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3131004/chinese-smart-helmet-maker-livall-targets-food-delivery-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3131004/chinese-smart-helmet-maker-livall-targets-food-delivery-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Apr 2021 00:30:19 +0000 Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume globally, is marketing its first security token backed by Tesla stocks trading on the Nasdaq exchange to investors – including those in Hong Kong. The marketing campaign could be deemed a regulated activity that requires a licence in Hong Kong. Binance, however, does not have any such licence in the city, according to Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) records. Moreover, a list of restricted jurisdictions – mainland China and... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3130489/binances-marketing-security-token-based-tesla-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3130489/binances-marketing-security-token-based-tesla-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Apr 2021 16:30:21 +0000 Apple has made deep inroads in helping its suppliers in China transition to renewable energy and achieve its carbon-neutral target by 2030 by exceeding its goal of bringing online over 2 gigawatts of renewable energy on the mainland. By surpassing its green energy goal, the Cupertino, California-based company said it can avoid the emission of nearly 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually in China – the equivalent of taking nearly 1 million cars off the road each year. Last July, Apple... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3127933/apples-carbon-neutral-goal-gathers-pace-it-brings-2gw-renewable-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3127933/apples-carbon-neutral-goal-gathers-pace-it-brings-2gw-renewable-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Apr 2021 09:30:10 +0000 Xiaomi’s major announcement event, hyped a week in advance by the gadget maker on social media, turned out to be nothing more than a launch of its latest smartphones. Defying expectations of new semiconductor chips, a foldable phone and even a project to develop electric cars – denied by Xiaomi’s supposed partner Great Wall Motors in a stock exchange filing – the Beijing-based company’s founder and chief executive Lei Jun spoke at length at a much-heralded event. He abruptly ended his launch of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3127560/after-week-hype-xiaomi-underwhelms-abrupt-end-launch-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3127560/after-week-hype-xiaomi-underwhelms-abrupt-end-launch-event?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Mar 2021 01:07:08 +0000 Yaling Jiang Yaling Jiang When Eric Zhou noticed that many of his female colleagues at his former employer in Beijing were struggling to find love, his solution was not to set them up with his friends, as people usually do. Instead, he started a dating app. “Online dating is the future in China,” said Zhou, founder of Slow and former head of global operations at ByteDance’s viral short video-sharing app TikTok. “The friend circles of young people sharply narrow once they move from college to work. The increase in work... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3126195/why-dating-apps-chinese-characteristics-are-capturing-hearts-gen-z?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3126195/why-dating-apps-chinese-characteristics-are-capturing-hearts-gen-z?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Mar 2021 03:00:19 +0000 Samsung Electronics Co warned it is grappling with the fallout from a “serious imbalance” in semiconductors globally, becoming the largest tech giant to voice concerns about chip shortages spreading beyond the automaking industry. Samsung, one of the world’s largest makers of chips and consumer electronics, expects the crunch to pose a problem to its business next quarter, co-chief executive officer Koh Dong-jin said during an annual shareholders meeting in Seoul. The company is also considering... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3125894/samsung-says-it-may-skip-new-galaxy-note-phone-year-amid-global?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3125894/samsung-says-it-may-skip-new-galaxy-note-phone-year-amid-global?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Mar 2021 01:30:31 +0000 Players can now place wagers on one-on-one video games using a new app called 1v1Me that was inspired by at-home betting during the pandemic. The app, first reported on by TechCrunch, will allow gamers to place wagers in one-on-one matches on Call of Duty and Fortnite while at home.  1v1Me launched with well-known content creators, such as NoisyButters, joining in. It is starting off small and supporting just two video games, so that it is a “much more controlled environment,” said founder... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3125727/new-invite-only-iphone-app-lets-people-gamble-money-fortnite-and-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3125727/new-invite-only-iphone-app-lets-people-gamble-money-fortnite-and-call?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Mar 2021 02:24:10 +0000 At a premier spot in Donlim Emperor Court, a shiny new shopping centre in the southern Chinese city of Foshan, stands a 1,700-square-foot Huawei store. With massive Huawei logos adorning its walls, the franchise outlet has been such a treasured presence that the mall’s property management featured it in promotional materials to woo potential tenants. On a recent visit, however, the store was deserted, save for a tiny Christmas tree and a few pieces of furniture. The door was locked. It turns out... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3124415/china-huaweis-smartphone-star-quickly-fading-us-sanctions-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3124415/china-huaweis-smartphone-star-quickly-fading-us-sanctions-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Mar 2021 02:00:17 +0000 The blocking of popular audio-chat social media app Clubhouse in China has sparked renewed debate over whether a Chinese version could emerge from a group of potential local contenders trying to fill the void. Clubhouse became inaccessible in mainland China on Monday, following the proliferation of discussions on sensitive political topics like the Hong Kong protests, Xinjiang re-education camps and mainland-Taiwan relations. As Clubhouse fades from view in China, several Chinese social audio... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3121328/clubhouse-blocked-can-audio-only-chat-phenomenon-go-mainstream-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3121328/clubhouse-blocked-can-audio-only-chat-phenomenon-go-mainstream-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Feb 2021 10:30:11 +0000 The biggest video game companies in China, including Tencent Holdings and NetEase, are betting on known properties and the widespread appeal of fictional worlds like those of Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and Harry Potter to grow their presence in the global mobile gaming market. With deep pockets and years of experience in adapting games for smartphones, these Chinese companies are driving that effort through partnerships with foreign studios in their quest to dominate the world’s video... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3119810/tencent-netease-and-others-bring-global-gamers-fictional-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3119810/tencent-netease-and-others-bring-global-gamers-fictional-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Jan 2021 02:00:12 +0000 36-year old Lin Yanqiong left her home in a small village in China’s central Hubei province to become a migrant worker at the age of 15, moving across the country to take a variety of jobs, including a nurse, waitress and masseuse. Her relatively underprivileged life changed though when she watched a streaming show by online celebrity Xinba, a guy who sold 1.25 billion yuan of products in a single live-streaming session on Kuaishou, a short video app she enjoys watching. She was shocked. “I... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3119151/kuaishou-has-changed-daily-lives-many-chinese-people-will-short-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3119151/kuaishou-has-changed-daily-lives-many-chinese-people-will-short-video?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jan 2021 23:00:11 +0000 Huawei Technologies Co. must decentralise its operations, simplify product lines, focus on generating profit, and maintain pay levels for three to five years to survive US trade restrictions, according to a recently published speech from company founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei. Ren made the speech last June, but Huawei only made it public on Friday, two days after the inauguration of US President Joe Biden. The Shenzhen-based telecoms equipment giant has faced many obstacles in the past six months:... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3118902/huawei-founder-ren-zhengfei-calls-decentralisation-focus-profits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3118902/huawei-founder-ren-zhengfei-calls-decentralisation-focus-profits?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jan 2021 22:00:12 +0000 Before going viral, Zhaxi Dingzhen was your average Tibetan herder living in China’s southwestern Sichuan province. His typical day was spent tending to his flock and helping out at home. But a 10-second video posted online would quickly change that routine, turning Dingzhen into an online sensation overnight. Soon after the video appeared online on November 11, China’s internet users marvelled at Dingzhen’s rugged good looks and herdsman lifestyle in the highland. Millions tuned in to watch a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3116603/cultivating-internet-celebrities-rural-governments-answer-beijings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3116603/cultivating-internet-celebrities-rural-governments-answer-beijings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jan 2021 23:00:14 +0000 Some users of China Telecom, one of the country’s three state-owned telecoms companies, can now make quantum encrypted phone calls using a special SIM card and smartphone app, the company announced last week. The move is the latest from China showcasing the country’s commitment to all things quantum computing, an area that, like artificial intelligence and 5G, has become part of the ongoing US-China tech war. The service was launched as a pilot programme in Anhui province, where China Telecom... https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/3116659/china-telecom-launches-quantum-encrypted-phone-calls-smartphones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/3116659/china-telecom-launches-quantum-encrypted-phone-calls-smartphones?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jan 2021 01:13:37 +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 Lin Qi, the chairman and chief executive of the Chinese games publisher Yoozoo, has been hospitalised in what the Shanghai police characterised as suspected poisoning, in a case that has gripped China’s social media. Lin, 39, visited a Shanghai hospital on December 16 after experiencing “acute symptoms of illness,” according to a WeChat statement by Youzu Interactive, as Yoozoo is also called. Lin is currently under treatment and his condition is stable, the company said. Shanghai’s police said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3115236/chief-executive-game-thrones-game-publisher-yoozoo-lands-hospital-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3115236/chief-executive-game-thrones-game-publisher-yoozoo-lands-hospital-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Dec 2020 06:03:08 +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 This has been a year of many unexpected events, with a pandemic that has turned lives upside down while also helping to enrich vocabularies – and not just with terms related to epidemiology. The effect in China can be seen in the annual list of hot new internet buzzwords from the country’s search giant Baidu, giving a glimpse into people’s everyday struggles in 2020. Similar to year-end lists from Google Trends, the Baidu Buzz List compiles popular search terms from different categories. This... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3114041/flexible-work-and-715-baidus-top-2020-buzzwords-reveal-gruelling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3114041/flexible-work-and-715-baidus-top-2020-buzzwords-reveal-gruelling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Dec 2020 22:15:10 +0000 The launch of Apple’s AirPods Max on Tuesday night stirred up heated discussion on Chinese social media, where netizens mocked the headphones’ “insane” price of 4,399 yuan (US$674) apiece. Hashtags relating to the American tech giant’s first-ever over-ear headphones trended on microblogging site Weibo, with the topic garnering 110 million views and over 240,000 discussions on the platform as of Wednesday evening. Many of the comments were critical of the wireless headphones’ price tag, which is... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3113221/chinese-netizens-mock-apples-new-airpods-max-headphones-insane-price?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3113221/chinese-netizens-mock-apples-new-airpods-max-headphones-insane-price?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Dec 2020 13:00:14 +0000 In a span of more than 4,000 years, many great emperors have ruled China. While people know them through what has been depicted in books and ancient illustrations, artificial intelligence (AI) technology now makes it possible to put a realistic face on a number of these historical figures. Hu Wengu, an independent Chinese video game developer and programmer, has used AI tools to recreate the animated faces of Chinese emperors from the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties – a period that dates more than... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3112919/video-game-developer-uses-ai-recreate-faces-ancient-chinese-emperors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3112919/video-game-developer-uses-ai-recreate-faces-ancient-chinese-emperors?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Dec 2020 00:00:18 +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 Li Zhao was having a rough day. As the young, bearded man staggered home, he worried about the scolding he would receive from his mother-in-law. As he considered this in the middle of an empty street, a blue bolt of light streaked down from the sky, knocking Li to the ground. When he sat up again, with torched hair and a burnt face, he realised he was blessed with superhuman abilities. The 50-second trailer from TikTok owner ByteDance is one of many videos online that promote stories with... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3111645/tiktok-owner-bytedance-bets-free-web-novels-challenge-tencents-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3111645/tiktok-owner-bytedance-bets-free-web-novels-challenge-tencents-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Dec 2020 22:00:16 +0000 Amid rising economic tensions with the US and a variety of political flashpoints across the globe, Chinese diplomacy has taken an aggressive turn in the past year. “Wolf Warrior” diplomats, named after a popular series of testosterone-fuelled patriotic action flicks, have waged a public war of words on social media such as Twitter, on topics ranging from the Covid-19 pandemic to alleged crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. And those wanting to emulate this tough approach now have help... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3112103/want-be-chinese-diplomat-developers-have-program-emulates-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3112103/want-be-chinese-diplomat-developers-have-program-emulates-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Dec 2020 14:15:10 +0000 Google removed two Android apps from Chinese search giant Baidu in the wake of a report published by researchers at Palo Alto Networks, which found the apps collected sensitive user data that could be used to track people even after they switch to a new smartphone. The apps had a combined 6 million downloads. Baidu confirmed that its search app and Baidu Maps were both pulled from Google Play Store globally on October 28 but denied that the apps were removed over the research findings. A Baidu... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3111288/google-removes-baidu-apps-after-they-were-found-collecting-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3111288/google-removes-baidu-apps-after-they-were-found-collecting-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Nov 2020 09:30:11 +0000 For several years now, online audiences around the world have been forced to get used to the idea of periodic price increases – except in China. Now Chinese video streaming platforms are raising subscription prices for the first time, and netizens are not happy about it. China’s two largest streaming services recently announced moves to increase prices as people have come to rely on online entertainment more than ever during the Covid-19 pandemic. Baidu-owned iQiyi, sometimes dubbed China’s... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3110071/iqiyi-and-tencent-video-raise-streaming-prices-first-time-some-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3110071/iqiyi-and-tencent-video-raise-streaming-prices-first-time-some-users?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2020 04:35:15 +0000 A new animated film co-produced by a Chinese studio that tells the story of a Chinese goddess seems like the perfect recipe for becoming a hit in China. That did not happen, and now Over the Moon is drawing comparisons to Walt Disney Studios’ live-action Mulan remake as a film trying hard to impress Chinese audiences and falling short. Reviews have been much kinder to Over the Moon, though, which was released globally on Netflix on October 23 and got a theatrical release in China on the same... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3109589/netflixs-over-moon-praised-china-bigger-box-office-bomb-disneys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3109589/netflixs-over-moon-praised-china-bigger-box-office-bomb-disneys?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2020 03:00:08 +0000 Since late October, Mao Biying has been spending four to five hours every day feeding and dressing up a virtual cat on her smartphone. But the college student based in China’s Hebei province, who asked to go by a pseudonym, was not playing for the sake of caring for a digital pet. What she was really after were coupons for products sold during the world’s biggest shopping festival, Singles’ Day. Playing games has increasingly become part of China’s online shopping experience in recent years as... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3108768/singles-day-mini-games-keep-shoppers-coming-back-more-taobao-and-jdcom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3108768/singles-day-mini-games-keep-shoppers-coming-back-more-taobao-and-jdcom?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Nov 2020 12:00:18 +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 “So awkward I’m physically uncomfortable after seeing it.” A new talent show featuring virtual idols is drawing mixed reactions as people complain about technical glitches and uninspired characters. The “physically uncomfortable” viewer is just one of many people leaving negative reviews for Dimension Nova on Chinese review site Douban. The new show comes courtesy of iQiyi, one of China’s biggest video streaming platforms. It pits 30 digital anime avatars against each other in front of three... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3107625/30-virtual-idols-are-facing-talent-show-iqiyi-viewers-complain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3107625/30-virtual-idols-are-facing-talent-show-iqiyi-viewers-complain?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Oct 2020 23:00:17 +0000 When a 61-year-old woman in the southeastern province of Jiangxi found out she was being followed by TV star Jin Dong on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, she was elated. The woman was convinced that the 43-year-old actor was in love with her and she was ready to leave her family. There was just one problem: she was not interacting with the real Jin Dong. The story of the woman, who used the pseudonym Huang Yue on a local news programme, went viral online earlier this month. Huang had been... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3107118/older-women-chinas-tiktok-are-being-scammed-flirtatious-fake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3107118/older-women-chinas-tiktok-are-being-scammed-flirtatious-fake?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Oct 2020 21:00:06 +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 TikTok owner ByteDance is engaging China’s consumers longer through its popular apps Douyin and Jinri Toutiao, compared with rival Tencent Holdings’ multipurpose social media platform WeChat, according to a new survey from analytics firm TalkingData. The survey, which was first reported by Chinese tech site 36Kr, said users of news aggregator Toutiao spent an average of 73.4 minutes on the app every day. Toutiao reportedly had more than 1.5 billion monthly active users as of July last... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3106493/bytedance-apps-toutiao-douyin-engage-chinese-consumers-longer-tencents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3106493/bytedance-apps-toutiao-douyin-engage-chinese-consumers-longer-tencents?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Oct 2020 22:45:13 +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 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 Zoom has two new weapons in its fight against competitors like Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. The company announced a new events platform called OnZoom and mini programs called Zapps that can be launched from within Zoom itself. Video communications company unveiled the new products during its three-day online conference called Zoomtopia, which concluded on Friday. The announcements come as Zoom has been facing both skyrocketing growth during the Covid-19 pandemic and increased scrutiny over... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3105776/zoom-selling-ticketed-virtual-events-and-offering-its-own-mini-programs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3105776/zoom-selling-ticketed-virtual-events-and-offering-its-own-mini-programs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2020 10:01:57 +0000 When people think of censorship in China, they usually think about the Great Firewall and netizens turning to clever images and puns to circumvent restrictions. But users are not the only ones left at the whims of censors. Digital platforms are often on the hook for figuring out how to keep disagreeable content off their services. The latest big content provider to face the wrath of Chinese censors is NetEase, which was fined this week because of comments on its news app that were deemed... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3105522/beyond-great-firewall-chinas-vast-censorship-apparatus-ropes-companies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3105522/beyond-great-firewall-chinas-vast-censorship-apparatus-ropes-companies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2020 23:00:24 +0000 Facial recognition is ubiquitous in China these days, and it is used for everything from making payments to logging into video games. While consumers have become increasingly concerned about the technology’s privacy implications, it is now facing criticism from a state-sponsored industry group. Facial recognition has both solved problems for consumers and introduced new security risks as a result of overuse, the China Security and Protection Industry Association (CSPIA) argues in an opinion... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3105702/facial-recognition-video-games-comes-security-risks-chinese-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3105702/facial-recognition-video-games-comes-security-risks-chinese-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2020 13:15:15 +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