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The latest news, analysis and opinion on Apps. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A drone flies over The Bund in central Shanghai in the evening. Photo: Shutterstock
Low-altitude economy

Shanghai to open ‘free-to-fly’ zones covering 46% of city for consumer drones

From February 1, consumer drones will be allowed to fly in designated airspace under new rules to boost the city’s low-altitude economy.

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DeepSeek

DeepSeek a year on: how a Chinese start-up sparked a global AI arms race

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X (formerly Twitter)

Musk’s xAI sued over Grok deepfakes – this time, by mother of his child

China society

Outside In | We are speeding towards a demography of loneliness

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

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Around the world, more people are growing up as only children; marrying late, if at all; having children late, if at all; and living alone in old age. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

Alibaba’s upgraded Qwen chatbot app receives warm consumer reception

Qwen’s upgrade transforms the chatbot into a virtual ‘life assistant’, making lives easier for hundreds of millions of consumers.

Tencent

Uber’s WeChat tie-up pays off as demand from Chinese tourists rises overseas

Uber will offer a discount of at least 40 per cent during Lunar New Year for new mainland users who join via its WeChat mini-program.

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Malaysia

X marks the bot: Malaysia says Grok ban may be lifted if it is proven to be safe

Though X has deactivated several prompts, more changes need to be made to ensure the site’s safety, Malaysia’s communications minister says.

Screens display the logo of Grok and its founder Elon Musk. Photo: AFP
Alibaba

Alibaba’s Qwen AI app hits 100 million users as update widens role in daily life

Chinese e-commerce giant deepens integration of its fast-growing app to enable voice-powered shopping, travel and digital tasks.

Artificial intelligence

Musk’s Grok barred from undressing AI images after global backlash

‘Spicy Mode’ feature had allowed users to create sexualised deepfakes of women and children.

Regulation

Beijing opens antitrust investigation into Trip.com before Lunar New Year break

The Trip.com case shows how China’s regulatory inquiries into various online platforms have become the norm.

Trip.com Group is China’s largest online travel services provider. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

Video-generation boom sees China’s Kling AI post US$240 million revenue run rate

Kling AI is widely adopted in the fields of marketing and e-commerce, as well as in films, television and animation, owner Kuaishou says.

Kling AI adoption has expanded amid the growing use worldwide of artificial intelligence video tools. Photo: Shutterstock
Mainland China

Video | Chinese-made ‘Are You Dead’ app addresses fear of dying alone

Failing to check in for two days in a row will result in the app sending an email to the emergency contact person.

Trending in China

China ‘dead or alive’ app allows solo users check in daily, alerts contacts if they miss it

‘Entertaining’ phone app that flirts with taboo notion of death and cost US$140 to develop now valued at US$1.4 million.

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Wellness

5 power-ups for 2026 to start your 2026 wellness journey right

Check out apparel and footwear from the likes of Sporty & Rich and American Vintage, then sign up for Apple Fitness+ to stay focused on your goals.

American Vintage is a buzzy French brand with a line of colourful retro fitness looks. Photo: Handout
Artificial intelligence

Ant International teams up with Google on use of Universal Commerce Protocol

The endorsement of Google’s open standard comes as companies globally accelerate the integration of AI agents and e-commerce.

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Ant International is endorsing Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard that powers agentic commerce. Photo: Handout
Artificial intelligence

Alibaba’s Qwen family hits 700 million downloads to lead open-source AI adoption

Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen family is the world’s most widely used open-source AI system as of January, Hugging Face data shows.

Australia

Australian social media ban: Meta shuts 550,000 children’s accounts

Australia’s ban on social media usage for under 16s, a world’s first, came into effect on December 10.

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Artificial intelligence

Dose of uncertainty: experts wary of AI health tech gadgets at CES trade show

Technology and health experts question the accuracy of these products and warn of data privacy issues.

People try out the Bodyfriend 733 Healthcare Robot at the CES trade show in Las Vegas on January 6, 2026. Photo: AP
Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek to customise namesake chatbot for Italian users following probe

The firm agrees to a package of commitments, including tackling AI model ‘hallucination’ issues, with the Italian Competition Authority.

Artificial intelligence

Alibaba’s Amap rolls out AI-powered 3D virtual tours for offline destinations

Flying Street View feature offers virtual tours of restaurants and venues as platform nears 1 billion monthly users.

Japan

Japan’s fix for a shrinking workforce? Corporate dating apps

Companies like Toyota are playing cupid, betting that matching staff with partners from supportive firms will prevent burnout and resignations.

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People cross a road near Tokyo station. The rising popularity of corporate-only dating apps in Japan comes as its birth rate continues to fall. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

China’s DeepSeek adds advanced ‘thinking’ feature amid buzz over next model

Hangzhou-based AI start-up installs ‘interleaved thinking’ as monthly users surge 90 per cent to nearly 131.5 million.

DeepSeek’s website and mobile app now offer multi-step research with “thinking” interspersed throughout the process. Photo: Shutterstock
Britain

UK begins ‘world-leading’ junk food ad ban to curb childhood obesity

Restrictions on daytime television and paid online advertisements are part of a US$2.7 billion preventive health strategy.

Artificial intelligence

ByteDance, other major Chinese tech firms lead local consumer AI market: report

ByteDance-owned Doubao remains the country’s top consumer AI app, as DeepSeek’s namesake chatbot takes the No 2 spot.

Cybersecurity

China’s Kuaishou hit by breach as explicit content floods live-streaming rooms

Short-video platform’s services are thrown into chaos on Monday night after the cyberattack it blames on ‘black and grey industries’.

Explicit content flooded Kuaishou’s high-traffic live rooms for more than an hour on Monday night, reports say. Photo: Shutterstock
TikTok

Editorial | TikTok deal could show way forward for US-China engagement

The agreement, under which the platform will become a joint venture controlled by a consortium of investors, highlights the importance of negotiation and mutual respect.

People hold signs in support of TikTok outside the US Capitol Building on March 13, 2024, in Washington. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
Wellness

New dating app is helping disabled and chronically ill people find love

Disabled and chronically ill people are often ghosted or rejected on mainstream dating apps. Dateability is evening the playing field.

Australia

Why Southeast Asia’s move to protect children online may fuel state surveillance

Measures to rein in tech companies risk opening the door to tighter state oversight of online platforms, analysts say.

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