Following TikTok's ban in the US (though it was reinstated just a day later), China's RedNote (international version of Xiaohongshu) quickly gained popularity in the US, becoming the top free app on the Apple App Store. This phenomenon has caught the attention of American media amid TikTok's ongoing acquisition negotiations.
Donald Trump pledged Sunday to delay enforcement of a national security law that threatened to ban TikTok, but it's not clear that the app's Chinese parent company has satisfied the requirements necessary to extend the deadline to find a possible buyer and avoid a permanent shutdown.
OpenAI is expanding its robotics division with ambitious plans to develop and mass-produce advanced general-purpose robots that integrate proprietary AI models with custom-designed hardware.
Taiwanese chipmakers maintained a low-key presence at CES 2025, hosting invitation-only demonstrations in hotels adjacent to the main venue. Both established companies and emerging startups showcased their strategic pivot, with edge AI opportunities taking center stage and resulting in several new partnership agreements.
Beijing and Shanghai have recently attained unprecedented levels of investment and development in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. These two cities are propelling China's swift ascent in the global AI competition.
Amid growing investments in India's AI sector, Microsoft has announced plans to invest US$3 billion in the country. This substantial investment aims to enhance AI capabilities and expand the reach of Azure services across India.
Apple's recent entry into the humanoid robotics market is gaining momentum, with recent developments confirming its active involvement. The company unveiled a robotic perception system, ARMOR, which enhances spatial awareness and enables dynamic collision avoidance through integrated hardware and software, as reported by Patently Apple.
Pegatron is making significant strides in the AI server market through strategic partnerships with industry leaders. The company has completed client testing of its Nvidia GB200 rack-mounted solution and is scheduled to begin deliveries to customer data centers this week.
Taiwan's National Development Council (NDC) has refined its Employment Gold Card policy, benefiting over 10,000 individuals, and is now seeking to attract digital nomads by significantly easing visa requirements.
The Indian competition regulator is reportedly poised to charge Apple with engaging in anti-competitive practices related to its App Store operations. This impending case draws parallels to a similar situation faced by Apple in the European Union.
Xiaomi is reportedly in the process of constructing a massive GPU cluster to significantly invest in artificial intelligence (AI) large language models (LLMs). According to a source cited by Jiemian News, Xiaomi's LLM team had already established 6,500 GPU resources at its inception.
Perfect Corp, a leading provider of AI and AR beauty technology, has acquired Wannaby Inc., a Farfetch-owned startup, in a deal with undisclosed financial details. This acquisition aligns with Perfect Corp's strategy to integrate cutting-edge technologies and broaden its portfolio into high-growth fashion sectors, including footwear, handbags, and apparel.
Alibaba Group agreed to sell its shares in Sun Art Retail Group to private equity firm DCP Capital, unloading another high-profile physical commerce asset to focus on its core online business.
Microsoft, OpenAI, Apple, and Google are trying to lead the AI revolution through innovative technologies and competitive tactics. Microsoft's AI-enhanced PCs, OpenAI's inventive progress, Apple's emphasis on privacy, and Google's antitrust hurdles showcase the fast-paced evolution and intense rivalry shaping the global AI scene.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) faces a projected budget cut of NT$29.7 billion (US$907.08 million) in 2025 following the Legislative Yuan's passage of amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures. According to Economics Minister Jyh-Huei Kuo, the reduction will impact subsidies promised to foreign companies like Nvidia, Micron, and AMD for their Taiwan investments.
Taiwan's leading smart retail solutions provider Partner Tech, a subsidiary of Qisda Group, has invested in Japanese theme park software service provider Cresson Inc., the company announced on December 23, 2024. The strategic partnership aims to enhance integrated hardware and software solutions for smart retail and expand both companies' presence in Japan and Asia-Pacific markets.
Alphabet Inc. is preparing to counter Japanese government allegations that it engages in anti-competitive practices such as forcing smartphone makers to give priority to Google Search in default screen placement.
Apple has halted work on a project to build an iPhone hardware subscription service, according to people familiar with the matter, retreating from an attempt to change the way consumers buy its flagship device.
Google has newly unveiled Android XR, a spatial computing operating system (OS) designed for extended reality (XR) devices, poised to compete with Meta Platforms and Apple. The OS supports XR headsets, smart glasses, existing Android apps, and immersive VR content.
Google has appointed Preeti Lobana as the new country manager and VP for its India operations, succeeding Sanjay Gupta, who was promoted to president of the Asia-Pacific region in July. Lobana will be instrumental in advancing Google's strategy to leverage AI across its customer base.
As AI and big data technologies gradually rise, the privacy and security of personal data have become a significant focus for regulatory organizations and businesses. Following the European Union's (EU) introduction of the latest Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), companies interacting with global and EU markets may face substantial impacts.
AI has accelerated the transformation of all industries, providing tremendous opportunities for hardware infrastructure players. However, the market is optimistic that "second phase beneficiaries" will include software companies.
Apple's Vision Pro, its first mixed-reality (MR) headset, is approaching its first anniversary in February 2025. However, projections for 2024 shipments stand at just 500,000 units, well below the company's initial goal of one million units, indicating poor market performance.
Chinese domestic electronic design automation (EDA) leader Empyrean announced on December 9 that the state-owned China Electronic Corporation (CEC) will become its largest shareholder. Empyrean was included in the latest batch of the US Department of Commerce's Entity List on December 2, and with this new partnership, Empyrean is seen as receiving strong backing from the Chinese government, enhancing control over key semiconductor component enterprises.
Planning a camping trip, Matthew Berman remembered hearing that pitching your tent on top of your car instead of on the ground was a good way to avoid animal encounters. It was the kind of claim Berman used to assess by typing into Google's search engine. Now he turns to a chatbot called Perplexity.
