Today's headlines
HEADLINE NEWS
It was revealed that Apple's MacBook bearing supplier was temporarily kicked out of the supply chain due to major product defects. Kosen Technology responded: Some problems are true, but it has not been removed from the Apple supply chain
According to foreign media reports, Apple has suspended the production license of Kunshan Kosen Technology, a MacBook Air bearing supplier, due to "quality issues" and transferred orders to suppliers such as Amphenol, Shin Rixing and Zhaoli until the end of this year. The relevant suppliers are tight-lipped, but some industry insiders have told the truth. It is reported that Apple suspended production after discovering that the bearings supplied by Kosen Technology had a high defect rate in August. It is said that the defective bearings are mainly used in the previous generation of MacBook Air models, not the latest models, and the MacBook Air models with defective bearings have not entered the market.
Industry insiders pointed out that these defects existed from the beginning, but Apple only discovered them during destructive testing later. Subsequent batch inspections showed a high defect rate. Fortunately, no problematic products have entered the market. However, bearing defects usually take one to two years to be discovered by consumers. It is not clear which component of the bearing is being referred to.
In response, a staff member of Cosen Technology said: "Some of the problems reflected in (the above news) are indeed true. There is a problem with the hinge of the MacBook Air product. We are in the process of handling it, and the conclusion will be clear after a while." At the same time, he also emphasized: "The company has not been removed from the Apple supply chain, and the execution of our major orders (from Apple) is normal."
It is reported that Kosen Technology made a name for itself by "grabbing orders at low prices" and entered the Apple laptop hub supply chain 5-6 years ago. It is noted from the report that in addition to obtaining Apple orders, Kosen Technology has also won some orders for Huawei's folding screen mobile phone bearings in recent years. The current suppliers of Huawei's folding screen mobile phone bearings are mainly Fushida and Zhaoli. Kosen Technology's order share is still quite low due to yield issues, but it has attracted market attention. (Sina Technology)
Domestic Information
DOMESTIC NEWS
It is reported that the innovative pharmaceutical company Rongchang Biopharma laid off thousands of employees, almost burned through IPO financing, and accumulated losses of more than 3 billion
Recently, a rumor about thousands of layoffs has put the innovative pharmaceutical company Rongchang Biopharma in the spotlight. Recently, some media reported that Rongchang Biopharma's massive layoffs involved multiple departments including R&D and production, and the layoffs are still continuing. Rongchang Biopharma denied the layoff rumors and responded that "it was a personnel adjustment based on the company's strategic development needs."
Since its listing, Rongchang Bio has accumulated a net loss of more than 3 billion yuan, and its operating funds mainly rely on external financing. Since the beginning of this year, the company has been reported to have tight cash flow many times. Rongchang Bio has raised more than 6 billion yuan in total through its two listings, but years of losses and high R&D expenses have almost "burned up" the financing. As of the end of the second quarter, Rongchang Bio's cash scale was 676 million yuan, the lowest value in the same period since its listing, and the A-share IPO raised only about 60 million yuan, while the company's annual R&D expenditure exceeded 1 billion yuan, and its operating funds were stretched.
Under financial pressure, Rongchang Biopharma decided to "ask for money" from the market again. In March this year, it released a plan for a private placement. A few months later, it reduced the original planned fundraising amount of 2.55 billion yuan to about 1.9 billion yuan. It has not yet received regulatory approval. (Yicai Global)
It was reported online that the Beijing branch of China Minsheng Bank had cut salaries across the board. The Beijing branch of China Minsheng Bank responded: Not true. The overall salary of employees remains stable.
Recently, rumors about a substantial salary cut at the Beijing branch of China Minsheng Bank have sparked heated discussions, with rumors that the cuts are as high as 50%, and some work-related reimbursements and other benefits have also been suspended. These measures have been fully implemented in the Beijing branch. In response to recent rumors of salary cuts, on September 23, relevant personnel from the Beijing branch office of China Minsheng Bank responded that the rumors on the Internet about a substantial salary cut for employees of the Beijing branch of China Minsheng Bank were seriously untrue. At present, the Beijing branch's operations are stable and improving, and the overall salary of employees remains stable.
It is worth noting that this is the second time in the past two months that Minsheng Bank has reported a salary cut. In July, someone broke the news on social media that Minsheng Bank's branches in Beijing and other regions had cut salaries by 40% and would cut salaries by 50% by the end of the year. Later, the Minsheng branch of Bank of Beijing denied the salary cut rumors.
As early as May, Ping An Bank also announced a "salary cut". According to the mid-year report data, among the 42 listed banks, only 11 banks achieved an increase in per capita salary, among which Wuxi Bank and Zijin Bank had the most significant increase, both exceeding 7%. At the same time, the per capita salary of more than 70% of banks has decreased compared with the same period last year. Among them, the per capita salary of 6 banks has decreased by more than 5%. Overall, the average salary of bank employees in the first half of this year has decreased by 5,321 yuan compared with the first half of last year, and the monthly salary has decreased by 887 yuan. (Shangguan News)
It was revealed that Bawang Tea Ji strongly linked negative reviews to employee wages: only 3 negative reviews were allowed for 10,000 orders, otherwise wages would be deducted. Latest response
Recently, it was reported that people close to Bawang Cha Ji said that only 3 negative reviews can appear in 10,000 orders, otherwise it will affect the wages of all employees in this store. Under such strict requirements, the clerks and store managers will try every possible way to eliminate negative reviews. They will waive orders for customers, redo orders, call to request the deletion of negative reviews, and many stores have hired a team dedicated to deleting negative reviews. Some employees even believe that Bawang Cha Ji’s assessment of stores is no longer the store’s operational management level, but which store is more efficient in deleting negative reviews.
It is reported that the phenomenon of Bawang Cha Ji employees asking customers to delete negative reviews is not an isolated case. On social platforms, many users shared their experiences of being called and asked to delete their reviews after giving negative reviews to Bawang Cha Ji stores. A netizen who claimed to be a former employee of Bawang Cha Ji claimed that the employees did not want to harass customers, but the number of negative reviews was linked to performance and salary, and if the number of negative reviews exceeded a certain level, they would be deducted money.
An employee of Bawang Cha Ji revealed that Bawang Cha Ji's stores are divided into directly-operated stores and franchised stores. The regulations of directly-operated stores are formulated by the company headquarters and the rules are relatively transparent. For franchised stores, it depends on the management style of the store manager. If the store manager is harsh, employees may be fined for various reasons.
On September 23, in response to the report that "#It is said that Bawang Tea only has 3 negative reviews for 10,000 orders#", Bawang Tea responded: "It is not true. The company has a corresponding operation assessment mechanism for stores and franchisees, and there will be a series of dimensions to evaluate." (Shell Finance)
Huawei's 3-fold scalper price avalanche: from nearly 100,000 yuan to only 4,000 yuan, scalpers are furious
On September 22, a digital blogger posted a video on a social platform saying that the price of the Mate XT tri-fold phone has collapsed, from 60,000 to 70,000 yuan or even more than 100,000 yuan to 4,000 or 2,000 yuan.
On September 20, the day of the launch, a blogger in Northeast China posted a video holding a red top-end Mate XT phone with an original price of 23,999 yuan on the official website, and asked four scalpers. In the end, only one scalper was willing to buy it back for 30,000 yuan, a 6,000 yuan increase.
On September 21, the price of the black 16+512G version was 29,500 yuan;
the price of the black 16+1T version was 31,500 yuan; and
the price of the red version was 37,000 yuan.
Compared with the official price, the price increased by 9,501 yuan, 7,501 yuan, and 13,001 yuan respectively.
Within one day, the scalper price dropped by more than 4,000 yuan.
In addition, only the red version had a premium of more than 10,000 yuan.
On September 22,
a digital blogger in Shenzhen posted the scalper price of the Huaqiangbei Mate XT, showing that the black 16+512G version was priced at 26,800 yuan;
the black 16+1T version was priced at 28,800 yuan; and
the red version was priced at 35,800 yuan.
Compared with the official website price, the price increased by 4,900 yuan, 4,801 yuan, and 11,801 yuan respectively.
A blogger who runs a mobile phone recycling business in Foshan, Guangzhou, posted a video saying that the price of the Mate XT mobile phone is collapsing too fast, and the price is like a jumping machine, changing every hour. Currently, scalpers are only willing to recycle the red version and can sell it for a price of around 10,000 yuan; while no one dares to buy the black version. (Sanyan Pro)
Shan Song plans to go public in the US: the price per customer has been declining year after year, and the valuation of unicorns has been halved
Recently, BingEx Limited launched the PDIE (Pre-Transaction Investor Education) program, which is seen as an important step before its IPO. On September 13, BingEx submitted its F-1 filing to the SEC, starting its listing process. As of June 30, 2024, BingEx disclosed that it had approximately 2.7 million registered riders.
Prior to this, its main competitor, Dada Group, had successfully listed in the United States in June 2020, winning the title of "the first instant retail stock", and SF Express, known as the "first third-party instant delivery stock", was also listed in Hong Kong at the end of 2021. In contrast, the initial IPO news of Shansong has been circulating since 2020. It can be said that it "got up early and arrived late", not only losing the opportunity to win the "first stock", but also its valuation has shrunk by 50% in two years.
In the field of instant delivery, Shan Song's performance in recent years has been poor. The reason for the poor performance lies in the growing cost of instant delivery. From 2021 to 2023, Shan Song's salary and rewards for payment riders reached 2.751 billion yuan, 3.614 billion yuan and 3.975 billion yuan, respectively, accounting for 90.5%, 90.3% and 87.8% of the revenue in the same period, respectively. On the other hand, Shan Song's revenue growth rate has gradually slowed down. In 2022 and 2023, Shan Song's revenue increased by 31.68% and 13.14% year-on-year, while the revenue in the first half of 2024 increased by only 7.63% year-on-year compared with the first half of 2023, and the growth rate slowed down suddenly. (Sina Technology)
MINISO acquires 29.4% of Yonghui Superstores shares for RMB 6.3 billion, becoming the actual controller of Yonghui Superstores
On September 23, Yonghui Superstores Co., Ltd. issued an announcement, disclosing the shareholders' signing of the "Share Transfer Agreement", and the company's largest shareholder will change.
According to the announcement, Dairy Farm, JD World Trade and Suqian Hanbang intend to transfer their shares in Yonghui Superstores to Juncai International.
The specific number of shares transferred are 1913135376 shares of Dairy Farm (accounting for 21.08% of the total share capital), 367227196 shares
of JD World Trade (accounting for 4.05% of the total share capital), and 387772804 shares of Suqian Hanbang (accounting for 4.27% of the total share capital). After the share transfer is completed, Juncai International will hold 29.40% of Yonghui Superstores' shares and become the company's largest shareholder, while Juncai International's controlling shareholder is MINISO (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd.
According to a subsequent announcement by MINISO, 29.4% of Yonghui Superstores' equity was acquired by it for RMB 6.3 billion. (Bianniushi)
Domestic chip company Huaxiaxin goes bankrupt and liquidates: domain names and other assets are publicly auctioned
According to the National Enterprise Bankruptcy and Reorganization Case Information Network, Huaxiaxin (Beijing) General Processor Technology Co., Ltd. held an open auction on the JD Auction Network Platform on September 23. The assets for the auction included three domain names with a starting price of 13,879 yuan, as well as 15 software copyrights and 14 patents with a starting price of 15,550 yuan and a deposit of 3,110 yuan, an increase of 311 yuan.
The auction was originally scheduled for 10:00 on September 22 to 10:00 on September 23, but has been withdrawn and re-sold. JD.com's online auction platform shows that its 7 million yuan equity auction launched in January this year and three domain names launched on September 23 have all failed because no one bid.
Huaxiaxin was once one of the innovative forces in China's chip industry, with completely independent intellectual property rights for CPU, DSP, GPU and AI processor IP. However, Huaxiaxin's business has not been smooth sailing. Public information shows that the company has many risks, including dishonest debtors, consumption restriction orders, debtors, equity freezes, bankruptcy cases, etc. In April this year, the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court ruled to accept Huaxiaxin's bankruptcy liquidation application. (Fast Technology)
Xiaomi asks India to withdraw antitrust report: contains commercial secrets
On September 23, according to foreign media reports, two people familiar with the matter revealed that Xiaomi Group has asked the Indian antitrust agency to withdraw its report on the grounds that it contained the company's trade secrets. Previously, the report found that Xiaomi and Walmart's e-commerce platform Flipkart violated competition laws.
If the Competition Commission of India (CCI) withdraws its report, it could delay its antitrust investigation that began in 2021. In August this year, the commission rarely withdrew an antitrust report on Apple because Apple also complained that the report disclosed the company's trade secrets.
People familiar with the matter said that Xiaomi stated in its application to the Competition Commission of India that the investigation report on Flipkart contained Xiaomi's sensitive business data, which should have been blacked out when shared with parties involved in the case. One of Xiaomi's concerns about the Flipkart report is that the report contains sales data classified by mobile phone model, which is sensitive information. (Phoenix Network Technology)
Zhou Hongyi: BB machine explosion creates a new model of network attack, we should accelerate self-development
On September 23, in response to the recent news of pager and walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon, Zhou Hongyi said that this is a new type of cyber warfare attack method and has also created a new model of cyber attack. He said: "Imagine if the mobile devices you use, such as mobile phones, cameras, sweepers, or even car batteries, are implanted with trace bombs, what a disaster it would be."
For example, he said that if someone tampered with the circuit of a new energy vehicle, there would be no need for an additional built-in bomb, and a short circuit in the battery could cause the vehicle to explode. After the popularization of driverless technology, hackers can remotely stop your car or run around in the parking lot without listening to your instructions. These scenes that only appeared in science fiction movies in the past are now likely to happen again in the real world.
Zhou Hongyi said that every terminal product we have now relies on the global supply chain and a large number of suppliers to complete. How to ensure that every link in the production, transportation, and warehousing process is controllable and safe is particularly important. In the future, many countries may have to establish their own supply chain systems, because products purchased from unfriendly countries or opposing camps, who can guarantee that mobile phones, cars, parts and other places where explosives may be inserted will not be tampered with? Especially for equipment and technology related to national security, independent research and development and production should be accelerated to ensure the reliability and safety of the equipment. (Sina Finance, Fast Technology)
Ignoring the 80 million annual salary, Dong Mingzhu rejected the acquisition of Gree by an American company. She responded to the original intention of her opposition: considering the overall interests.
On September 23, Dong Mingzhu once again talked about her rejection of an American company's acquisition of Gree more than 20 years ago, saying that she did so for the overall benefit. "Some companies in the past sold their brands for various reasons, but I firmly opposed Gree's acquisition because of my sense of mission to develop Chinese brands," Dong Mingzhu said. Dong Mingzhu also said that if we decided to sell, we would have already failed, and we would fight for a one in ten thousand chance, not for personal gain, but more for the overall benefit.
In 2004, Carrier Group, a long-established American home appliance company, wanted to acquire Gree Electric Appliances (the world's first company to develop modern air conditioning systems), but at the time it only offered a purchase price of about 5.7 billion yuan, even though Gree's annual sales had reached 13.8 billion yuan. However, in order to attract overseas investment, the acquisition was approved by the local Zhuhai government and most of Gree's senior management. In order to "impress" Dong Mingzhu, Carrier Group offered her a sky-high annual salary of 80 million yuan, but was ultimately rejected by Dong Mingzhu. (Fast Technology)
Former Meizu executive Li Nan comments on rumors that iPhone steel battery could detonate: either stupid or bad, or both
On September 23, a video of an Apple phone being remotely detonated was circulated abroad and in China recently, causing concern among netizens. The official media later publicly refuted the rumor, saying that the video came from an account of a civilian technology enthusiast in the United States more than 10 years ago. The account was making a high-voltage pulse generator at the time, a device that can damage objects through high-voltage current.
Even though Apple officially responded that there was no problem with the product, it still caused concern among netizens, especially since this year's iPhone 16 also uses a steel-cased battery. Former Meizu executive Li Nan @李楠或kkk also talked about this topic on social media: "I suggest that anyone who says that the Apple iPhone 16 Pro can explode because it has a steel-cased battery should be blocked directly. These people are either stupid or bad. Or both." (Fast Technology)
Black Myth: Wukong responds to film plan: I can’t say
It is reported that the 2024 Beijing Cultural Forum Cultural Industry Investor Conference was held in Beijing on September 21. In the corporate exhibition area outside the main venue of the conference, Game Science displayed the game interface related to "Black Myth: Wukong". According to reports, the company's business manager Huang Yifan mentioned in an interview about the company's next development plan that "Black Myth: Wukong" will have subsequent expansion packs and DLCs to be launched. Huang Yifan said: "Everyone is also looking forward to saying some subsequent stories. I think everyone can believe this, that is, there will be subsequent expansion packs and DLCs." When asked if there are plans for a movie version, Huang Yifan maintained a hint of mystery: "I can't say that yet."
In addition, when talking about the development of game peripheral products, Huang Yifan said: "I think this is also in our consideration and design, but it must be based on the principle of doing it as best as possible." Previously, Wu Dan, the first investor of "Black Myth: Wukong", confirmed in an interview that the DLC of "Black Myth: Wukong" is being developed intensively and is expected to add many surprises to the game.
There are reports that the new DLC may include two chapters, "Resurrection" and "This Way", which will include characters and stories such as Zhu Ying Xuan Ying (Rhino Spirit), Xia Yao Jin Peng (Lion Camel Ridge), Chou Duan Qing Bo (Nine-headed Insect), and Lei Ran Zhu Chun (Daughter Kingdom), but this has not been officially confirmed. (Financial Times)
iPhone 15 Pro Max becomes the world's best-selling smartphone in the first half of the year, with Xiaomi being the only domestic smartphone in the top ten
On September 23, according to Omdia's "Smartphone Model Market Tracking Report--Q2 24", iPhone 15 Pro Max is the world's largest smartphone in terms of shipments in the first half of 2024, with a total shipment of 21.8 million units. This is the second consecutive year that the iPhone Pro Max series has won the championship after the iPhone 14 Pro Max became the best-selling mobile phone in 2023. Among the top ten rankings, only one model of Xiaomi's domestic mobile phone made the list and ranked eighth.
Samsung has four models on the list, namely Samsung Galaxy A15 (ranked third, with 17.3 million units shipped), Galaxy S24 Ultra (ranked fifth, with 12.6 million units shipped), Galaxy A15 5G (ranked seventh, with 12.2 million units shipped), and Galaxy A05 (ranked tenth, with 10 million units shipped).
Among domestic mobile phone manufacturers, Xiaomi made the list with its Redmi 13C model, ranking eighth with 11.8 million units shipped. It is worth mentioning that in the first half of 2022, Xiaomi had two models on the list, namely Redmi Note 11 and Redmi 9A. (ITheat)
The largest braised food company launches a new business: Juewei starts selling milk tea
On September 23, according to media reports, Juewei Food, the "big brother of braised food", started selling milk tea. According to the staff of Juewei Duck Neck store, there are currently 4 or 5 stores in Changsha that have launched milk tea business. At the same time, in some stores, Juewei Duck Neck official applet also accepts milk tea reservations, with red bean pudding milk tea and coconut milk tea, etc., priced at 7 yuan. Industry insiders said that milk tea is not the focus of Juewei Food. Selling milk tea is to find a second growth curve. Previously, Luckin Coffee crossed over into the milk tea track. In the eyes of young people, cross-border is no longer strange.
In addition, Juewei Foods’ advantage in milk tea is that its tens of thousands of stores and consumers overlap with milk tea consumers, so it only needs to put the products on the shelves for conversion. However, compared with other mature milk tea brands, they have disadvantages in supply chain, product categories, etc. Senior retail analyst Wang Guoping told reporters that milk tea is not the focus of Juewei Foods. At the same time, although Juewei Foods has many stores, many of them are small in size, and it is not easy to add water bars, etc., and they cannot be renovated. (ZAKER, Dingdian News)
Zhou Hongyi was hired as a part-time professor at Xi'an Jiaotong University, hoping that both sides would give full play to their respective strengths and deepen cooperation
On September 23, according to the Xi'an Jiaotong University Alumni Association on September 22, from September 19 to 20, Xi'an Jiaotong University alumni, 360 Group founder, chairman and CEO Zhou Hongyi and his party came to Xi'an Jiaotong University for exchanges, and Zhou Hongyi was hired as a part-time professor of Xi'an Jiaotong University. At the Zhou Hongyi alumni part-time professor appointment ceremony, Xi'an Jiaotong University President Zhang Liqun issued a letter of appointment to Zhou Hongyi and put a school badge on him.
Zhou Hongyi said that he hopes that both sides can give full play to their respective strengths, deepen cooperation, and contribute wisdom and strength to the development of the national cybersecurity industry and artificial intelligence industry. He said that as a part-time professor at his alma mater, he will actively explore new paradigms of school-enterprise cooperation through the establishment of AI science lectures, innovation and entrepreneurship lectures, and work together to cultivate top innovative talents. (Bian Niu Shi)
International News
FOREIGN NEWS
Zuckerberg says tech company leaders need to understand technology, otherwise they are not tech companies
Last week, Zuckerberg was interviewed on a podcast about his views on technical leadership. He said that the lack of technical skills in leaders is one of the first problems he noticed when he went to Silicon Valley. "The CEO doesn't understand technology, there are no technical people on the board, and there is only one engineering director on the management team who understands technology, and no one else understands technology," he said. "Well, if this is your team, then you are not a technology company."
Zuckerberg founded Facebook in his Harvard dorm room at the age of 19 and is good at programming. He said in the podcast that he would look at their technical background when appointing managers. "One thing I have been careful to do is to have a lot of people on our management team with different backgrounds, mainly those who manage these large product groups, who have grown up through different technical paths in the company, and I think this will achieve a balance in management." He said.
Zuckerberg clarified that this does not mean that being technical is the only important skill in leadership. "You don't want everyone to be an engineer because there are other important things, but if you don't have enough engineers in the company, then you're not a technology company."
Google CEO Pichai: AI will not replace programmers, but will make more people become programmers
September 23 news, in recent years, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked widespread discussion, and people are worried about whether AI will replace human jobs. Artists and programmers are particularly worried because AI seems to be able to do both jobs. However, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet, believes that AI will not replace programmers, but will help more people become programmers.
Pichai talked about the impact of AI on programming jobs in his speech at Carnegie Mellon University. He said that AI is most likely to help people rather than replace them. It can help existing programmers focus on more advanced tasks rather than repeatedly solving the same problems. In addition, Pichai believes that AI will lower the threshold for programming and enable more people to program through natural language, just like using a creative tool.
Pichai also described AI's ability to help many professionals in their daily activities as the "correct perspective" to look at artificial intelligence. He also said that the term "artificial intelligence" is not appropriate and it is easy to make people think of comparisons (that is, comparing artificial intelligence with human intelligence), but it is not necessary. He believes that a better term should be "empowered intelligence" and he "bets that more people will be programming in the future." (IT Home)
The CEOs of the two companies involved in the pager explosion case are missing, and their families all claim that they were framed
The series of explosions of communication equipment has once again brought Lebanon to the global spotlight. There are still many unsolved mysteries surrounding the pager explosions. The CEOs of the two European companies involved in the incident are currently out of contact or in hiding.
According to reports, the pagers that exploded were labeled with the Golden Apollo company. However, the company's founder said that these pagers were not produced by them, but authorized to be manufactured by the Hungarian company BAC. However, the Hungarian company BAC denied that it manufactured these pagers and said that it was just an intermediary. There are reports that the sale of these pagers was facilitated by Norta Global, a company registered in Bulgaria.
The truth of the matter is still under investigation. The businesswoman involved in the "pager source storm" - Christiana Basoni Arcidiacono, who is listed as the CEO of Hungary's BAC company, has now gone into hiding. Coincidentally, the accused Indian CEO of Bulgaria's Norta Global, Linsen Jose, is also missing. On the day of the pager explosion, he left according to a "pre-planned" itinerary and has since been unable to be contacted. (Red Star News)
Microsoft reportedly pays $1 billion a year to bring third-party games to the XGP lineup
On September 22, Bloomberg previously released a comprehensive report on the current status of Microsoft and Xbox, which revealed that Microsoft invests $1 billion (currently about RMB 7.051 billion) each year to introduce third-party games to the Xbox Game Pass service. It is reported that in order to attract more publishers to join Game Pass, Microsoft is said to "provide publishers with millions of dollars in advance payments each year" and share part of the subscription revenue, while promising to "bring these games rare exposure opportunities." Microsoft's total investment in introducing third-party games to Game Pass each year is said to be as high as $1 billion.
Bloomberg also mentioned that Xbox Game Pass has now become a heavy financial burden for Microsoft, but Microsoft is still making every effort to promote related services. Although the subscription price of Game Pass has increased, the influence of the service among global players continues to increase, and next month's "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6" will also add luster to the service subscription volume. (IT Home)
Musk announces latest Mars plan: launch 5 unmanned starships in the next 2 years
On September 23, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced on X that SpaceX plans to launch about five unmanned Starship spacecraft to Mars within two years. Musk said that if all spacecraft land safely, SpaceX will likely carry out manned missions within four years. If the launch mission encounters challenges, the manned mission will be postponed for another two years.
It is understood that in June this year, Starship conducted its fourth test flight. About 73 minutes after launch, the Starship engine reignited in a good posture, achieved hovering, and successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean, achieving the predetermined goal of this test flight and making a major breakthrough.
Starship is the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built, with a height of 120 meters. It consists of a 70-meter-high "super-heavy booster" equipped with 33 "Raptor" engines and a 50-meter-high reusable spacecraft cabin. The rocket is designed to send people and cargo to Earth orbit, the moon and even Mars. (Fast Technology)
It is reported that TSMC and Samsung Electronics are considering building a chip factory in the UAE, with a scale of more than US$100 billion. TSMC responded that there is no specific plan for new global investment.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Samsung Electronics Co., the world's two largest chipmakers, have discussed building potential chip projects in the United Arab Emirates in the coming years that could exceed $100 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
TSMC executives recently visited the UAE and talked about a factory complex comparable to some of the company's largest and most advanced factories in Taiwan, people familiar with the matter said. Samsung Electronics is also considering launching a new large-scale chip manufacturing operation in the UAE in the coming years, the sources said. The company's top officials recently visited the UAE to discuss the idea, but the discussions are still in the early stages and may encounter technical and other obstacles.
Under the preliminary terms being discussed, the projects would be funded by the UAE, with Abu Dhabi-based sovereign development agency Mubadala playing a central role. The broader goal would be to increase global chip production and help lower chip prices without hurting chipmakers’ profitability.
In an emailed statement responding to media reports, TSMC said it is focused on current global expansion projects and has no new investment plans to disclose. TSMC said it is always willing to have constructive discussions on how to promote the development of the semiconductor industry. (Financial Times)
Foreign media: Microsoft plans to launch Xbox handheld to replace Series S
On September 23, foreign media recently revealed that Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console series will add a new handheld game console, which aims to "replace" the current Xbox Series S, and hinted that the Series S model may be about to withdraw from the market.
Microsoft has always maintained a vague attitude towards this "Xbox handheld". Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's gaming division, once said in an interview that "Microsoft should launch a handheld game console" and revealed that the device will support local games, rather than just a streaming device like Sony's PlayStation Portal.
In addition, foreign media also stated that Microsoft currently has no plans to launch a device that directly competes with the PS5 Pro. Although Microsoft recently released the 1TB version of the Series S, the 2TB version of the Series X, and the all-white digital version of the Series X, Microsoft will not launch a "Pro version" that surpasses existing models in performance in the future. (Global Network Technology)
Samsung may develop a prototype of a micro solid-state battery, aiming for mass production in the first half of 2026
According to Korean media reports, Samsung Electro-Mechanics completed the world's first prototype development of micro solid-state batteries suitable for wearable devices last month, and is currently testing with customers, with mass production expected in the first half of 2026. Samsung Electro-Mechanics actively introduced its leading technology in the MLCC field during the development process. This new product has high stability and low explosion risk, and is suitable for wearable devices close to the human body. Samsung Electro-Mechanics' micro solid-state batteries are expected to be used first in Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Ring, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds and other wearable devices, and are expected to be promoted to other electronic products such as smartphones in the future.
Sources said Samsung Electro-Mechanics will set up a TF (Note: Special Task Force) internally to supply micro solid-state batteries to major customers including Samsung Electronics. South Korean media reported that Samsung Electro-Mechanics plans to ensure that its micro solid-state battery products are price competitive with traditional lithium-ion batteries through continuous technology development and customer acquisition, and will expand rapidly in the future if there is sufficient demand. (IT Home)
Vodafone Idea signs $3.6 billion contract with Nokia, Samsung and other companies to expand its share of Indian telecom market
Indian telecom market leader Vodafone Idea has signed a $3.6 billion contract with companies including Nokia to supply equipment for a major network upgrade planned by the Indian telecom network operator and in an effort to gain more market share in the increasingly competitive Indian telecom market.
According to a statement to the Indian Stock Exchange, Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung Electronics will provide network infrastructure equipment for three years as Indian telecom giant Vodafone Idea seeks to upgrade its 4G services and plans to introduce 5G services in some key markets for Vodafone Idea. The company said the deal marks the first step of the company's three-year capital expenditure plan of up to $6.6 billion. (Zhitong Finance)
Battery maker Northvolt cuts around 20% of global workforce
On September 23, Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt said it needed to lay off about 20% of its employees worldwide. Northvolt is a Swedish battery manufacturer founded in 2016. It is a new energy company in Stockholm, Sweden, founded by Volkswagen Group, Goldman Sachs and Siemens. In July this year, Northvolt announced its results for the 2023 fiscal year. Data showed that Northvolt's revenue increased to US$128 million, but its losses increased from US$284 million to US$1.167 billion (approximately RMB 8.4 billion). (Cailian News)
Meta announces extension of partnership with manufacturer Essilor Luxottica until 2030
On September 23, Meta and eyewear manufacturer Essilor Luxottica announced that they would extend their smart glasses product partnership until 2030, and promised to launch more Ray-Ban smart glasses products in the future. (Titanium Media)
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