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French AI firm Mistral has launched Magistral, a reasoning model it says rivals OpenAI’s o1 and DeepSeek’s R1. Unveiled at the London Tech Week, the n…

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French <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> firm Mistral has launched Magistral, a reasoning model it says rivals <a href="/company/openai">OpenAI’s</a> o1 and <a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek’s</a> R1. Unveiled at the London Tech Week, the new model is reportedly designed for math, coding, and step-by-step logic in European languages.

Jewelry brand Lao Feng Xiang will launch its first AI-powered smart glasses in July, targeting elderly users with voice, visual, and call features. Co-developed with <a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance’s</a> Volcano Engine and powered by the Doubao large model, the device marks the jeweler’s entry into <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> wearables.

Global wrist-worn device shipments rose 10.5% YoY to 45.57 million units in Q1 2025, driven by China’s 37.6% surge to 17.62 million units amid government subsidies. IDC data show smartwatch and band shipments grew 4.8% and 34%, respectively, with China’s band segment alone jumping nearly 68%.

AliExpress is piloting car sales in the Middle East as part of its global 618 campaign, offering <a href="/industry/ev">EVs</a> from <a href="/company/byd">BYD</a>, <a href="/company/xiaomi">Xiaomi</a>, and others under its subsidy-backed export program. The move extends Alibaba’s cross-border strategy beyond automotive parts, tapping into demand for Chinese-made vehicles overseas.

X Square Robot founder Wang Qian said deploying <a href="/industry/robotics">humanoid robots</a> in factories is “just a PR stunt,” arguing that structured industrial settings do little to advance general-purpose <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a>. True progress, he added, depends on training models in open-ended and unpredictable environments, not repetitive tasks.

Shenzhen-based startup Digit has raised an eight-figure RMB sum in an angel plus round led by Cowin Capital to expand R&amp;D, refine its <a href="/industry/robotics">humanoid robots</a>, and boost delivery capacity. Its Juhao platform powers robots tailored for retail, service, and cultural sectors, with over 1,000 units expected to ship by the end of 2025.

Trip.com Group is accelerating its global expansion, opening over 1,100 positions across 75 cities in 23 countries and launching a RMB 1 billion travel innovation fund. With Q1 2025 international bookings up 60% YoY, CEO Jane Sun said the firm aims to double its overseas revenue share within 3–5 years.

Nintendo sold over 3.5 million Switch 2 consoles in four days, marking its fastest hardware launch to date. The company now faces mounting pressure to boost production, manage shortages, and curb scalper activity as it targets 15 million sales by March 2026 amid rising tariff risks.

Trade between China and Africa has grown more than 20-fold since 2000, reaching RMB 21 trillion in 2024 with an average annual growth rate of 14.2%, according to customs data. The China-Africa Trade Index also hit a record high of 1,056.53, reflecting robust economic ties.

Battery tech startup Voltavate has raised AUD 850,000 in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round led by Artesian, with support from Investible, Electrifi Ventures, and several angel investors. The Melbourne-based firm is developing nanomaterial-enhanced battery separators to boost safety, performance, and sustainability, targeting global growth amid rising energy storage demand.

Chinese camera maker Insta360 raised RMB 1.94 billion in its Shanghai IPO, aiming to expand further in the US as demand grows for immersive content linked to wearables and XR devices. Overseas sales make up 80% of its revenue, with the US a key growth driver. Insta360 holds over two-thirds of the global panoramic camera market.

The CEO argues that the future of robotics depends on developing models that can adapt to dynamic, unstructured environments.

“A PR stunt”: X Square Robot CEO says humanoid robots don’t belong in factories, calls for focus on generalization

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Mistral launches AI model for reasoning

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“A PR stunt”: X Square Robot CEO says humanoid robots don’t belong in factories, calls for focus on generalization

Shenzhen’s Digit raises funding to scale humanoid robots built for both charm and chores

What happens when AI rewrites Kant, and you get to argue with it?