Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Microsoft Shuts Down Shanghai IoT & AI Lab Amidst Growing Tensions

2025-03-31

Microsoft has quietly closed its Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insider Lab in Shanghai's Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, marking another step back from China amid rising geopolitical tensions. Opened in 2019 to support domestic development of IoT and AI technologies, the lab was reportedly shut down earlier this year, with equipment removed and the logo gone. The closure highlights the increasing challenges faced by tech companies operating in the complex Chinese environment.

(www.scmp.com)

Tech China withdrawal geopolitical tensions

China Unveils Deep-Sea Cable Cutter, Raising Global Concerns

2025-03-24

China has unveiled a new deep-sea cable-cutting device capable of severing the world's most fortified underwater communication or power lines, with a maximum operating depth of 4,000 meters – twice the range of existing subsea infrastructure. Developed by the China Ship Scientific Research Centre, the device is intended for civilian salvage and seabed mining, but its dual-use potential, especially near strategic chokepoints like Guam, raises concerns about its potential to disrupt global communications and escalate geopolitical tensions.

(www.scmp.com)

Tech deep-sea cable cable cutter

DeepSeek, Open-Source AI Startup, Shifts Focus to Monetization

2025-02-18

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has updated its business registration, signaling a shift towards monetizing its cost-efficient large language models (LLMs). The updated scope includes "internet information services," indicating a move away from pure R&D and towards a business model. This follows the release of their open-source LLMs, previously developed with a research-focused approach. The company, spun out of hedge fund High-Flyer, has yet to comment on this strategic change.

(www.scmp.com)

AI Monetization

Chinese Scientists Develop Revolutionary Battery Repair Tech, Extending Lifespan Sixfold

2025-02-18

Chinese scientists have unveiled a groundbreaking, low-cost, and eco-friendly repair technology for lithium-ion batteries, capable of extending their lifespan by over six times. Published in Nature, the research details an injection solution that rejuvenates aging batteries, countering efficiency loss in cold temperatures. This technology promises a significant leap forward for smartphones, electric vehicles, and other modern technologies, with market readiness anticipated soon.

(www.scmp.com)

Tech lithium battery battery repair

Chinese Researchers Develop 800x Faster Material Design Algorithm

2025-02-02

Researchers at Shenzhen MSU-BIT University have developed a high-performance algorithm that dramatically accelerates material design simulations on consumer-grade GPUs. The algorithm boosts the computational efficiency of peridynamics (PD), a non-local theory for modeling complex material behavior like cracking and fracture, by a groundbreaking 800 times. This breakthrough opens doors for various industries, especially aerospace and military applications, utilizing readily available, low-cost GPUs unaffected by US sanctions.

(www.scmp.com)

Tech GPU Computing High-Performance Algorithm

China to Host World's First Human-Robot Marathon

2025-01-20

Beijing will host the world's first human-robot half-marathon in April, with dozens of humanoid robots competing alongside 12,000 human runners in a 21km race. This event showcases China's push to develop AI and robotics to address an aging population, declining birth rates, and compete with the US in technological advancement. Robots from over 20 companies will participate, with prizes awarded to the top finishers.

(www.scmp.com)

Tech human-robot marathon