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Can AI make NAS cool? Former DJI engineer Noah Guo built Zettlab to find out

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Ant upgrades GlassPay security tools

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Ant International
Ant International has launched an iris authentication feature for its Alipay+ GlassPay system, adding a new biometric layer to its AR-based payment tools. The upgrade compares more than 260 iris markers with liveness detection and complements existing voiceprint verification. Xiaomi and Meizu are the first partners, and Ant is planning a wider rollout across the Asia Pacific.

Meituan Shangou logs Singles’ Day surge

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Jiemian News
Meituan Shangou said its GMV and user activity reached record levels from October 31 to November 11, as nearly 400 product categories, ranging from smartphones to cosmetics, posted YoY sales above 100%. The surge lifted per-capita spending by nearly 30%, while more than 800 brands, including Apple, Huawei, and Xiaomi, reported triple-digit YoY growth.

Douyin expands youth safety plan

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IT Zhijia
Douyin has announced a new plan that upgrades protections for users under 18 through enhanced parental controls, youth content, and public interest programs. The update introduces parent-child account binding, remote management of usage and social activity, and real-time risk alerts, while offline initiatives will support rural and migrant children through spaces and sports activities.

Former DeepSeek researcher joins Xiaomi

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The Paper
Luo Fuli, a former DeepSeek researcher, said she has joined Xiaomi to work on MiMo, the company’s first inference large model, confirming earlier rumors. Media reports linked her move to Xiaomi’s broader AI expansion, including plans for a 10,000-GPU cluster and increased R&D investment.

Xiaohongshu drives Singles’ Day sales

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Sina
Xiaohongshu said its "direct-to-buy" feature helped more than 100 products surpass RMB 10 million in sales from October 9 to November 6, led by nearly RMB 200 million for Haier’s washing machines. TCL and Roborock also recorded strong results as conversion efficiency rose and brand participation doubled compared with the 618 festival cycle.

Singles’ Day ends with muted demand in China

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Reuters
China’s Singles’ Day festival wrapped up after its longest campaign yet, with subdued spending underscoring continued consumer caution amid property and income worries. Despite deep discounts and subsidies from Alibaba, JD.com, and others, major platforms withheld sales figures as shoppers spread purchases throughout the year.

Vipshop weighs Hong Kong listing in 2026

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Bloomberg
Chinese online retailer Vipshop is considering a Hong Kong listing in 2026, according to people familiar with the matter. The US-listed firm has hired advisers for a possible share sale as more Chinese companies seek dual listings to attract global investors and hedge delisting risks.

ByteDance unit launches Doubao-Seed-Code

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SCMP
ByteDance’s Volcano Engine has launched Doubao-Seed-Code, an AI coding agent priced at RMB 9.9 for the first month, about 63% below the market average. Integrated with the Trae app, the model can process up to 256,000 words per query and achieved a 78.8% score on the SWE-Bench Verified test, rivaling Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet.

Yann LeCun weighs Meta exit

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WSJ
Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist, is weighing a departure to launch a startup developing “world models,” an alternative to LLMs. His potential exit would close a decade of leadership at Meta as the company shifts its AI ambitions toward "superintelligence."

Tencent to form carbon credit alliance

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Bloomberg
Tencent plans to form a carbon credit buyers’ alliance by year's end, uniting Asian firms from technology, manufacturing, and consumer sectors to boost supply from Global South nations. The initiative, unveiled at COP30 in Brazil, aligns with Tencent’s voluntary goal of achieving carbon neutrality through large-scale credit purchases.

SoftBank offloads Nvidia, T-Mobile shares

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CNBC
SoftBank has sold its entire Nvidia stake for USD 5.83 billion and part of its T-Mobile shares for USD 9.17 billion to fund a USD 22.5 billion investment in OpenAI and other AI initiatives. The company said the sales are part of its “asset monetization” strategy and not a reflection of concern over AI valuations.

EU weighs Huawei, ZTE network ban

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Bloomberg
The European Commission is weighing a plan to make its guidance on high-risk telecom vendors legally binding, potentially forcing EU nations to phase out Huawei and ZTE. Led by vice president Henna Virkkunen, the proposal could extend to fiber networks and tie EU funding to compliance as Brussels hardens its stance on Chinese tech suppliers.

Tencent expands Weixin payment options

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Tencent
Tencent has launched TenPay Global Checkout, a unified payment solution that allows overseas merchants using Weixin mini programs to accept local payment methods such as Singapore’s PayNow. Rolling out first in Singapore and Macao before reaching Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, the service aims to streamline cross-border payments and expand merchant reach.

Klook seeks NYSE listing amid travel boom

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Reuters
SoftBank-backed Klook has filed for a US IPO after 2024 revenue rose 24% to USD 417.1 million. The Hong Kong-based travel platform plans to list on the NYSE, joining a revived IPO market buoyed by tourism’s rebound. Backers see upside in its mobile-first focus, though analysts note thinner margins in the experiences segment.

Agibot restructures ahead of IPO

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SCMP
Agibot has converted to a joint stock limited company, a key step toward an IPO, and rebranded as Zhiyuan Innovation. The Tencent-backed robotics firm is reportedly eyeing a Hong Kong listing valued at up to HKD 50 billion, as China’s humanoid robot makers rush to capital markets.

TikTok unveils Lead Genie assistant

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TikTok
TikTok has introduced Lead Genie, an AI-powered messaging assistant that helps businesses manage customer interactions, collect leads, and respond round-the-clock through natural conversations. Early users reportedly saw up to 80% lower lead costs and higher conversions.

Ant open-sources Falcon TST model

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Ant International
Ant International has open-sourced its Falcon TST (time-series transformer) AI model, a 2.5-billion-parameter system that has reportedly achieved over 90% accuracy in forecasting cashflow and foreign exchange exposure, reducing costs by up to 60%. Now available on GitHub and Hugging Face, the release aims to spur innovation in time-series forecasting.

Gen Z blends joy and reason in shopping

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Soul App
A new report from Soul App finds that “paying for happiness” defines how young consumers spend. Travel tops emotional consumption at 36.9%, followed by digital and creative purchases. While most increased or maintained their Singles’ Day budgets, many still verify “lowest price” claims, a sign of joy tempered by caution.

LiberLive debuts LiberAOS system

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KrASIA
LiberLive has introduced LiberAOS, a proprietary high-dynamic sampling and synthesis system that powers its new C2 stringless guitar. Built on a multicore chipset, the system reportedly captures detailed performance nuances and delivers studio-level sound through an advanced tone library and real-time audio engine.

Beijing resumes Nexperia chip exports

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Bloomberg
China said it has exempted compliant Nexperia chip exports for civilian use, marking a step toward easing trade tensions with Europe. The commerce ministry also urged the Netherlands to correct its “erroneous practices,” as automakers including Volkswagen and Honda warned of disruptions from the continuing supply dispute.
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