Tech

By South China Morning Post

China
Top venture capitalists, bankers land key role in deciding China’s tech board IPOs
scmp.com - Laura He
Neil Shen Nanpeng, the founder and managing partner of Sequoia Capital China; Zhang Lei, CEO of Hillhouse Capital; and Bao Fan, CEO of China …
Alibaba Group
Alibaba to step up cloud computing expansion amid growing global demand
scmp.com - Sarah Dai
Subsidiary Alibaba Cloud, which turns 10 this year, has become the e-commerce giant’s main business development focus.
Tencent Holdings
Tencent to advance investments in core infrastructure, frontier technologies amid video gaming slowdown
scmp.com - Iris Deng
The internet giant capped 2018 with a quarterly profit that missed analysts’ estimates.
Smart Cities
JD pushes further into smart cities, offering social credit and AI-powered tools to local governments in China
scmp.com - Meng Jing
The services can be used by local governments to build social credit databases, AI-powered traffic infrastructure and other smart transport services
North America
Huawei’s US government lawsuit may lift the air of ‘mystery’ around the Chinese telecoms giant
scmp.com - Cissy Zhou
Professor He Weifang says the case ‘would be fantastic’ if it helped reveal details of Huawei’s ownership structure and relationship with the Chinese …
Financial Services
Race is on for tech companies like Grab, Ant Financial to gain an edge in SE Asia's financial services market
scmp.com - Zen Soo
Technology companies are hoping to fill a market gap by offering financial services like loans and payments across the region
Tencent Holdings
Tencent seeks new growth in year of transition as consumer businesses mature
scmp.com - Iris Deng
Tencent investors will be looking for more details on the huge potential of the firm’s move into the industrial internet, where it will provide …
Silicon Valley
No sleep, no sex, no life: Tech workers in China’s Silicon Valley face burnout before they reach 30
scmp.com - Zheping Huang
Life in China’s tech industry is not easy, with young employees and entrepreneurs battling burnout at work, while worrying about bigger things like …
Hong Kong
Tencent to consider bid for US$3 billion AS Watson stake, as rival Alibaba shows interest
scmp.com - Bloomberg
Shenzhen-based Tencent may team up with some investment funds for an offer for the stake in AS Watson, which is a unit of Hong Kong conglomerate CK …
Online Privacy
Chinese, Southeast Asian company executives more ready than their European peers to face tougher data-privacy regulation,
scmp.com - Chad Bray
American executives believe they are the most prepared for the changing data-privacy landscape, but a lack of clarity over portability of data is a …
Facebook
Instagram will now let you buy things directly through the app in a move likely to boost Facebook’s coffers
scmp.com - Bloomberg
With advertising growth in Facebook’s news feed slowing, the company is seeking new lines of business and will become more dependent on units such as …
Hong Kong
Chinese AI start-up Megvii said to plan IPO in either Hong Kong or New York to raise up to US$800 million
scmp.com - Chad Bray
The IPO could serve as a test for how well China's AI boom will be received by the world's capital markets, with several Chinese AI start-ups eyeing …
Asia
New Zealand shooting: More than 200 users watched live stream video of Christchurch mosque attacks, but nobody reported says
scmp.com - Associated Press
The Facebook live video, which was watched by some 200 users, was reported only 12 minutes after the broadcast ended, said the tech company.
Android News
Google to prompt Android users to choose preferred browsers to allay EU concerns
scmp.com - Reuters
The European Commission last year handed Google a record US$4.9 billion fine for using market power of its mobile software to block rivals in areas …
North America
‘Devin Nunes cow’ Twitter account gains 150,000 followers as US Republican’s lawsuit backfires
scmp.com - Associated Press
Parody account, which purports to be owned by unhappy cow on Nunes’ farm, called him ‘treasonous cowpoke’ and ‘udder-ly worthless’
Demonstration
How AI, facial recognition technologies are revolutionising physical security in Asia
scmp.com - Chua Kong Ho
Advances in security and surveillance technologies mean the days of elderly guards manning posts at commercial and residential establishments are …
Online Life
Like Netflix for online gaming? Google announces Stadia, a streaming service that lets you play via your browser
scmp.com - The Washington Post
Platform, built on top of Google Chrome browser, allows users to play games without having to download and install them.
Intellectual Property
Huawei leads Asian domination of UN patent applications in 2018
scmp.com - Reuters
The world’s largest telecoms equipment supplier made a record 5,405 international patent applications to the World Intellectual Property …
Tencent
Tencent clawing its way back from cliffhanger year, winning rave analyst reviews ahead of earnings
scmp.com - Louise Moon
Internet giant Tencent’s shares are still down 22 per cent from an all-time high in January 2018. Ahead of earnings, 55 analysts polled by Bloomberg …
5G
Xiaomi rebounds with 13.5 billion yuan annual profit, targets greater international expansion
scmp.com - Yingzhi Yang
The Beijing-based company says it was one of the few companies in the smartphone industry to maintain high growth last year.
China
Tencent said to fire or demote around 10 pct of middle managers amid company-wide revamp
scmp.com - Iris Deng
Tencent has pledged to promote young talent in a bid to refresh its managerial ranks and maintain dynamism within the social media-to-gaming giant.
China
Meet the Chinese property developer that reckons it can take on Tesla
scmp.com - Bloomberg
China Evergrande Group aims to become the world’s biggest and strongest electric vehicle maker within three to five years, says chairman Hui Ka-yan.
China
US announces plan for new ‘exascale’ supercomputer but timeline may fall behind China’s schedule
scmp.com - Li Tao
China is also planning a multibillion-dollar investment to upgrade its supercomputer infrastructure by 2020 to regain leadership
Profit
Elon Musk tweet about Tesla violates settlement agreement, US regulator tells court
scmp.com - Reuters
The ongoing public battle between Tesla’s chief executive and the top US securities regulator adds pressure on Musk, the public face of Tesla
China
Here’s what you need to know about Wuhan Guide Infrared – China’s biggest thermal imager
scmp.com - Iris Deng
While one of Guide’s biggest clients is the Chinese army, it is now exploring wider civilian uses for its equipment.
North America
Shutting the gates of academia: American universities cut ties to Huawei and Confucius Institute
scmp.com - Robert Delaney
The University of Minnesota ends programmes with both after US government efforts to restrict the relationships, in a political climate of growing …
Ridesharing
Ride-hailing giant Lyft seeks valuation of nearly US$20 billion in year’s biggest IPO
scmp.com - Bloomberg
No 2 US ride-hailing giant is offering 30.8 million shares at US$62 to US$68 each
Passports
How technology can ensure you never lose your keys or passport ever again
scmp.com - Peta Tomlinson
One estimate claims we waste a year of our lives looking for things we mislay
Africa
Shenzhen Transsion applies to raise capital on Shanghai’s technology board after taking Africa’s phone market by storm
scmp.com - Xie Yu
Transsion, selling through its brands Tecno, Infinix and Itel, had 58.7 per cent of Africa’s mobile phone market in 2018, according to IDC data.