On Wednesday, TSMC unveiled its A16 (1.6nm) technology for the first time at the 2024 North America Technology Symposium in California, with the Taiwan-based chip foundry announcing plans to begin mass-production with the new manufacturing process in 2026. TSMC claimed that its A16 technology will boost logic density and chip performance by combining advanced nanosheet transistors with backside power rail solutions. Compared to the N2P process, A16 offers an 8-10% increase in speed at the same operating voltage, a 15-20% reduction in power consumption at the same speed, and a density improvem ..read more

Chinese game publisher NetEase said it will begin the beta testing phase for a mobile version of Octopath Traveler on May 16, with the game scheduled for release on June 30. Octopath Traveler was developed by Japanese firm Square Enix and released in 2018 as a role-playing game featuring retro-inspired pixel art and a unique HD-2D visual style. Square Enix released the second installment in 2023, and the overall series achieved global sales surpassing four million copies. The game features eight major professions: swordsman, dancer, merchant, scholar, apothecary, ranger, hunter, and astrologe ..read more

Chinese universities and research institutions were still able to purchase servers equipped with the restricted GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) chips as of Feb. 28, despite US export restrictions on the chips being in place since October 2022 and tightened in November 2023, according to an exclusive report by Reuters. Why it matters: The Reuters report reveals loopholes in the US export restrictions on high-performance GPU chips to China. The findings have raised concerns within the US government about the efficacy and enforcement of these regulatory measures. Details: Ten Chinese entities acq ..read more

TikTok’s fate in the US appears doomed as the Senate passed a sell-or-ban bill on Tuesday with 79 to 18 votes. The bill, tied to the US’s foreign aid package, is waiting to be signed into law by President Biden. TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance still has the opportunity to battle the ban in court. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not remark on the latest political move regarding the short video app at today’s regular press conference, saying only that his counterpart in the Ministry of Commerce had previously stated China’s “principled position” that America should stop “unreasonabl ..read more

Beijing-based text-to-video startup AIsphere has raised over RMB 100 million ($13.8 million) in its latest A2 funding round from Ant Group, the fintech affiliate of Alibaba, less than two months after the company raised more than RMB 100 million. According to Chinese media outlet LatePost, which cited people close to Ant, the Alipay owner has made the move as part of a strategy to add stand-out Chinese AI ventures such as ZhipuAI and Moonshot AI to its investment portfolio, while also developing its own AI foundation model. Founded last April by Wang Changhu, the former vision technology lead ..read more

Chinese startup Momenta will develop autonomous driving platforms based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride chips, which the companies said will bring the same advanced driving capabilities to mainstream models priced between RMB 100,000 and RMB 200,000 ($13,800-$27,600) as their more premium offerings. A number of gasoline cars and new energy vehicles will be capable of handling lane changes on Chinese highways and complex urban scenarios and driving themselves into pre-booked parking spots using the technology, according to a Tuesday announcement. The US chip designer has recently been partnering ..read more

An avatar of JD founder Richard Liu participated in its third livestreaming show on Monday as part of a promotional event for this year’s World Book Day. Although the virtual Liu’s nearly 40-minute-long slot made for only a short section of the 11-hour-long e-commerce event, its appearance still suggests that the company sees use of the avatar as a headline- and hype-generating strategy as it looks to boost consumption on its platforms.  Credit: JD Why it matters: As JD gears up for June’s 618 event, China’s second-largest shopping festival, the attempt to introduce highly life-like digi ..read more

Huawei on Tuesday launched a redesigned M5 compact crossover, the first model under the Aito lineup with manufacturing partner Seres. The Chinese tech giant billed the new vehicle as more spacious, better equipped, and with faster acceleration than the Tesla Model Y at a competitive price tag. The extended-range hybrid versions cost between RMB 249,800 and RMB 279,800 ($34,472-$38,612), putting them in the same price range as Li Auto’s newly-launched L6, but with a longer driving range of 1,440 kilometers (895 miles) on a full fuel tank and a full charge. The all-electric M5 is priced at RMB ..read more

Tech blogger Digital Chat Station revealed on Chinese social media platform Weibo yesterday that Huawei’s next-gen flagship Mate 70 series smartphones will feature main cameras equipped with domestically-produced CIS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Image Sensor) chips from OmniVision Technologies. The standard version is expected to be equipped with the OV50H, while the premium version will feature the OV50K. The OV50K, a new image sensor produced by OmniVision this year, features a large 1/1.3-inch sensor and supports LOFIC (Lateral OverFlow Integration Capacitor) technology that en ..read more

TNGlobal is excited to announce the ORIGIN: Asia Tech Conference, themed “Unleashing Potential, Reimagine Future” to be held on May 23, 2024, at The Venetian Macao Convention and Exhibition Center, Florence Meeting Room . This landmark event signifies a significant expansion into the dynamic landscape of Asia, forming an integral part of BEYOND Week’s prestigious lineup of events.  ORIGIN: Asia Tech Conference serves as a pivotal gathering, bringing together industry luminaries, investors, and trailblazers to delve into the vibrant tech ecosystem of Asia. With a ..read more