For years, the world has labeled Portugal as the ultimate “retreat”—a place for surf, sun, and remote work. But is that the whole story? We didn’t think so. That’s why we packed our cameras and crossed the Atlantic. We spent weeks on the ground—traveling from the industrial north to the coastal capital—to film a new […]
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CES 2026: Takway unveils Tamagotchi-inspired AI virtual pet Sweekar
Takway, a startup that aims to become the Nintendo of the AI robotics era, unveiled a Tamagotchi-style virtual pet at CES 2026. Called Sweekar, it is a palm-sized toy pet with built-in AI, designed in a cute egg-shaped form with little ears and a screen that serves as its face. Like a Tamagotchi, Sweekar needs […]
Posted inOn the Cusp
China’s seven companies to watch beyond 2025, from drones to games
Looking back on 2025, I would rather focus on a group of Chinese companies I have followed for years and genuinely believe in. They may not sit at the centre of the hottest trends, but each has strengthened its position within its own field through technology, product and long-term investment. Spanning sectors from drones, robotics, […]
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Tencent probes abusive language incident involving Yuanbao AI assistant
Tencent said it has launched an internal review after users reported that its Yuanbao AI assistant produced abusive language during code modification tasks, calling the incident a rare model malfunction unrelated to user actions or human intervention. Screenshots and screen recordings shared by multiple users showed the AI using offensive phrases such as “jerk,” “get […]
Posted inHeavy Hitters
Xiaomi CEO teardowns YU7 in livestream over safety concerns, sets 2026 delivery target at 550,000
On Saturday, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun hosted the company’s first livestream of 2026, during which he dismantled a Xiaomi YU7 vehicle to address public scrutiny and showcase the car’s build quality. The roughly five-hour broadcast drew widespread attention from Chinese viewers. Lei said Xiaomi had previously taken a low-profile approach to controversy, believing that strong […]
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IDG Leads $500M Series C for Moonshot AI, Oversubscribed by Alibaba & Tencent
Moonshot AI (Kimi), a Chinese AI startup, has completed a $500 million Series C funding round led by IDG Capital, which invested $150 million. The round was oversubscribed by existing backers Alibaba, Tencent, and Meituan co-founder Wang Huiwen, valuing the company at $4.3 billion. With cash reserves now exceeding 10 billion RMB (approx. $1.37 billion), […]
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JD.com and Unitree to open first offline store in Beijing, offering hands-on robot experience and on-site orders
JD.com and Unitree Robotics will open their first joint offline experience store in Beijing tomorrow. The store signals a shift for consumer robots from primarily online showcases to in-person experiences, allowing customers to see, interact with and purchase products on site, as companies seek to accelerate adoption by lowering barriers to hands-on use. The store […]
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Meta Acquires Chinese AI Startup Manus for Billions in Third-Largest Deal
Meta has reached an exclusive agreement to acquire Butterfly Effect, a Chinese startup and developer of the AI agent Manus, for a multi-billion dollar sum. This transaction ranks as the third-largest acquisition in Meta’s history, following WhatsApp and Scale AI. Founded in 2022 by Xiao Hong in Wuhan, the company finalized the deal in approximately […]
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ByteDance reportedly plans to purchase $5.6 billion worth of Huawei’s Ascend AI chips
Chinese tech giant ByteDance is reportedly planning to purchase more than RMB 40 billion ($5.6 billion) worth of Huawei’s Ascend AI chips in 2026, a sharp increase from nearly zero procurement this year. According to sources, the first batch of Ascend AI chips is expected to enter delivery soon, with an initial order size valued […]
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China to enforce new EV energy consumption standard in 2026, capping 2-ton models at 15.1 kWh/100 km
China’s first mandatory national standard setting limits on energy consumption for electric vehicles will come into force on January 1, 2026, marking a major step toward improving efficiency in the country’s rapidly expanding EV market. The standard, Limits of Energy Consumption for Electric Vehicles – Part 1: Passenger Cars (GB 36980.1—2025), establishes compulsory requirements for […]