Chinese merchants selling to overseas markets via popular sites such as Shein and Temu face escalating tax and compliance burdens from both the European Union and China's domestic tax authority. These pressures present significant challenges for cross-border e-commerce operations. Credit: TEMU The European Union agreed to abolish a rule that allowed goods valued below EUR 150 (USD 174) to enter the region without customs duties. This new rule will apply once an EU customs dat

Alibaba Group Holding has revamped its artificial intelligence chatbot, now named Qwen, sparking concern among some observers in Silicon Valley over the Chinese tech giant's rapid AI progress. The updated app, previously known as Tongyi, is available on Android and Apple app stores. Credit: QWEN Alibaba describes Qwen as the “most powerful official AI assistant for its models” and “the primary entry point for experiencing the latest and most powerful Qwen model” in app-store

Google is introducing a new personalised image feed within its app, directly challenging TikTok, and Pinterest. This initiative aims to let users search for, and discover visual content beyond social media platforms. Credit: GOOGLE The feature, which will roll out for Android, and iOS users, includes a new "Images" tab at the bottom of the Google app, positioned next to Search. It provides a daily feed of pictures tailored to individual interests. Credit: GOOGLE While browsin

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the national internet regulator and censor, has rolled out new rules requiring individuals offering professional advice online to prove their credentials. Those who do not meet these requirements risk losing their platform access across China’s major social networks, which serve more than a billion active users.

Tesla is developing support for Apple CarPlay in its electric vehicles, marking a potential shift in the carmaker’s long-standing resistance to third-party software integration. Credit: APPLE The potential adoption of CarPlay would allow users to control iPhone features, including navigation, music, and messaging, directly through a vehicle’s built-in display. This marks a major departure from Tesla’s preference for its own ecosystem to maintain control over the in-car experi

Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek recently made a rare public appearance at a state-backed industry event. There, a senior researcher reaffirmed the AI lab’s commitment to developing artificial general intelligence (AGI), despite its potentially dangerous impacts on society. AGI is a hypothetical AI system designed to match the cognitive capabilities of a well-educated adult, according to one definition.

Disney shares fell 8.3% as the company signalled it was preparing for a prolonged dispute with YouTube TV. This worried investors about the outlook for its declining television business.

Valve has announced a return to its Steam Machine PC/console hybrid hardware, alongside a new version of the Steam Controller. While the company confirmed features and specifications, a key piece of information, the price, remains unannounced. Credit: IGN The next-gen Steam Machine will be available in 512 GB and 2 TB models. It is expected to ship in a bundle with the Steam Controller and also be sold standalone sometime in 2026. Specification details include a semi-custom A

A recent survey revealed 97% of listeners could not distinguish between artificial intelligence-generated and human-composed songs, highlighting growing concerns that AI could profoundly alter how music is created, consumed, and monetised. These findings underscore rising ethical concerns in the music industry.

OpenAI has asked a federal judge in New York to reverse an order requiring it to turn over 20 million anonymised ChatGPT chat logs. The artificial intelligence organisation argued this action would expose users' private conversations amid a copyright infringement lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed by The New York Times and other news outlets. The organisation contended that sharing the logs would disclose confidential user information. OpenAI further asserted that 99.99% of the t

ByteDance’s cloud unit, Volcano Engine, has introduced a new AI coding agent to China’s market. The Doubao-Seed-Code model is priced at USD 1.30 (9.9 yuan) for the initial month of subscription. This launch highlights the intense competition within China’s expanding market for AI developer tools.

Google Maps is undergoing a significant transformation, integrating Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) technology to offer a more conversational and intuitive navigation experience. This redesign aims to make the popular app an insightful companion, providing hands-free directions and recommendations.