Jane Zhang
AsiaOne
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Past articles by Jane:
Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou jumps on NFT bandwagon with ‘Phanta Bears’, Digital News
A firm backed by Taiwanese pop icon Jay Chou has launched a non-fungible token (NFT) project featuring virtual avatars called “Phanta Bears”, joining a growing list of entertainment and sports celebrities to test the technology that verifies ownership of unique digital assets. The Phanta Bears, a collection of 10,000 algorithmically-generated digital avatars launched as a spin-off from Chou’s… → Read More
Alibaba in metaverse gaming move as Big Tech bets on potential, Digital News
Alibaba Group Holding has registered a new company in Beijing named Yuanjing Shengsheng to test the gaming potential of the metaverse, in the latest sign that China’s Big Tech firms are doubling down on what many see as the future of the internet. The new unit, wholly owned by Alibaba’s investment arm, has listed its major business as software development... → Read More
Alibaba's Singles' Day is not the draw for online shoppers it used to be, Digital News
For six years in a row, Ding Xiaojuan has “chopped” hands for the Singles’ Day shopping festival, a popular expression among Chinese consumers describing an obsession with online retail that is so out of control that they want to cut off their hands to stop bleeding money. “I set alerts and stayed up late until midnight in previous years to... → Read More
How China's influencer factories mint new online stars for e-commerce, China News
Xinhe United Creation Park in the suburbs of Hangzhou, the e-commerce capital of China, looks like any other business park from the outside. Signs plastered on the building facades hint at what‘s going on inside. “Time is money”, “You’re unique”, “Nothing can replace you”, “Yesterday is history, good luck” and “Full of hope” are just some of the slogans meant... → Read More
'Made in China, sold on Amazon' gadgets from Aukey, Mpow vanish from e-commerce site, Digital News
Amazon.com has apparently blocked several prominent mainland Chinese merchants for alleged “suspicious behaviour”, in a move that industry insiders said is part of a targeted crackdown on questionable business practices sellers on the platform, including those based in China. For over a week now, most Amazon listings from Aukey, a major Shenzhen-based electronics vendor, have been listed as… → Read More
Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo among top 5 global smartphone brands as Huawei fades out, Digital News
Smartphone shipments in China saw robust growth that was higher than the worldwide average in the first quarter of 2021, as Chinese brands Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo grabbed three of the top five spots in global rankings, according to new data from market research firm Strategy Analytics. Shipments to the Chinese market rose 35 per cent year on year, compared... → Read More
Chinese shoppers spend a record $75b for Singles' Day, Digital News
As China’s Singles’ Day shopping bonanza kicked off at midnight on November 11, gross merchandise volume (GMV) on platforms operated by Alibaba Group Holding reached 372.3 billion yuan (US$56.3 billion) in the 10 days leading up to the main event through its first 30 minutes. Singles’ Day sales started early on November 1 this year, with GMV topping last year’s... → Read More
PC shipment growth rates at 10 year high as Covid-19 keep workers, students at home, Digital News
The global PC market has posted back-to-back quarterly double digit growth rates as corporations and schools continue to invest in the transition to remote working and learning amid second and third waves of Covid-19 in many countries. Global shipments of traditional PCs - comprising desktops, notebooks and workstations - grew 14.6 per cent year on year to 81.3 million units... → Read More
Pets in China now have their own robot friends, which can entertain and even dispense treats, Digital News
Many people buy dogs for companionship. But now pets can have their own playmates when their owners are away – companion robots that can help to monitor, feed, and entertain them. Sophia Qiao, a 30-year-old who lives in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, spent 2,000 yuan (S$400) to buy her cat Tuantuan and then spent almost three-quarters of that... → Read More
Huawei shipped more smartphones in 2019 in spite of US trade blacklist, Digital, China News
Chinese smartphone maker Huawei Technologies shipped over 240 million smartphones globally in 2019, beating shipments of more than 200 million in 2018, and making progress despite being blacklisted in May by the US from doing business with American suppliers. Among the handsets sold last year, 6.9 million units were 5G phones, and its high-end Mate series and P series recorded year-on-year… → Read More
Madame Tussauds removes waxworks of Harry and Meghan from royal family display, World News
LONDON - Madame Tussauds waxwork museum has removed the figures of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan from its British royal family display, in response to the couple's announcement that they will be stepping back from royal duties. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced on Wednesday that they intend to divide their time between North America and the UK to carve out a "progressive new role" and… → Read More
Livestreaming is new hunting ground for Chinese online fraudsters, Digital, China News
The three most popular categories of fraud in China last year were finance, gaming and part-time jobs, with live streaming emerging as a lucrative new hunting ground for scammers, according to a study by an internet security company. Financial fraud saw the highest number of cases last year - 3,314 in total, according to Qihoo 360. Among the different kinds of financial fraud, per capita losses… → Read More
China dreams of becoming an AI utopia
For China, the advent of artificial intelligence is meant to be the silver bullet that unlocks further economic growth and helps solve deep-rooted social problems, such as the uneven distribution of resources in education and health care. The targets are ambitious - by 2025 China wants wide-scale adoption of AI in manufacturing, health care, education, agriculture and national defence, and is… → Read More
Trying out a self-driving robotaxi in China, a very 'considerate' ride, Digital, China News
From Batman to Transformers, self-driving cars have long captured the popular imagination. And China, where the pervasive use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies extends from sorting rubbish to traffic control, is a natural testing ground for companies jostling to make this sci-fi fantasy a reality. They are part of a global move towards autonomous vehicles, which are quickly becoming… → Read More
Here's how Alibaba powered billions of transactions on Singles' Day, Digital, China News
In just the first 68 seconds of November 11, shoppers spent US$1 billion (S$1.4 billion) on Alibaba's e-commerce marketplaces, scooping up everything from consumer electronics to luxury items and even cars. By the end of the annual 24-hour Singles' Day shopping extravaganza, the Chinese tech giant reported a record-shattering 268.4 billion yuan (S$52 billion) of sales. All of this took place… → Read More
Why Chongqing residents aren't scared of cameras on every corner, Digital, China News
After a long and exhausting shift driving his taxi, 33-year-old Wu Fuchun pulled over to find a toilet. Five minutes later, a message popped up on his phone saying his car had been parked in the wrong place, in violation of traffic laws. What came next was three penalty points on his licence and a fine of 200 yuan (S$39). Far from being surprised, Wu accepted his fate, as being fined like this… → Read More
TikTok introduces reverse-image search tool to find in-video products, Digital, China News
Popular Chinese short video app Douyin, known as TikTok outside China, has introduced a reverse-image search tool that enables some users to find in-video products such as clothing, which they can then purchase directly within the app. The move could help Douyin's owner ByteDance capitalise on the growing popularity of the video app, which had accumulated 320 million daily active users as of… → Read More
Inspired by Marvel's Iron Man, Chinese entrepreneur brings exoskeletons to the masses, Digital, China News
Wang Chao shot to fame last month after he lifted a 1.6-ton car on a Chinese TV challenge show. The 25-year-old is not a muscle man - more like a geek - but he did have some help. Wang was fitted out with a smart, external structure not unlike what Marvel character Tony Stark wears to become the superhero, Iron Man. Although the exoskeleton Wang demonstrated on China Central Television was just… → Read More
Lazada says it is e-commerce leader in Southeast Asia with 50 million buyers, Digital, Business, Asia News
Digital, Business, Asia News - Read more at AsiaOne → Read More
BIGO Technology, the Singaporean company selling content moderation services, Digital News
A Singaporean company is now offering content review services in overseas markets amid rising demand from governments around the world, and as Beijing continues a drive to clean up its domestic cyberspace. BIGO Technology, a Singapore-based social media company owned by Chinese live broadcaster YY Inc, is helping the Indonesian government to filter its internet content, and is also in talks with… → Read More