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People try out the Bodyfriend 733 Healthcare Robot at the CES trade show in Las Vegas on January 6, 2026. Photo: AP
Artificial intelligence

Dose of uncertainty: experts wary of AI health tech gadgets at CES trade show

Technology and health experts question the accuracy of these products and warn of data privacy issues.

Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek to customise namesake chatbot for Italian users following probe

Artificial intelligence

Alibaba’s Amap rolls out AI-powered 3D virtual tours for offline destinations

Japan

Japan’s fix for a shrinking workforce? Corporate dating apps

Companies like Toyota are playing cupid, betting that matching staff with partners from supportive firms will prevent burnout and resignations.

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People cross a road near Tokyo station. The rising popularity of corporate-only dating apps in Japan comes as its birth rate continues to fall. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

China’s DeepSeek adds advanced ‘thinking’ feature amid buzz over next model

Hangzhou-based AI start-up installs ‘interleaved thinking’ as monthly users surge 90 per cent to nearly 131.5 million.

Britain

UK begins ‘world-leading’ junk food ad ban to curb childhood obesity

Restrictions on daytime television and paid online advertisements are part of a US$2.7 billion preventive health strategy.

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Artificial intelligence

ByteDance, other major Chinese tech firms lead local consumer AI market: report

ByteDance-owned Doubao remains the country’s top consumer AI app, as DeepSeek’s namesake chatbot takes the No 2 spot.

ByteDance’s top-ranked Doubao AI app. Photo: Shutterstock
Cybersecurity

China’s Kuaishou hit by breach as explicit content floods live-streaming rooms

Short-video platform’s services are thrown into chaos on Monday night after the cyberattack it blames on ‘black and grey industries’.

TikTok

Editorial | TikTok deal could show way forward for US-China engagement

The agreement, under which the platform will become a joint venture controlled by a consortium of investors, highlights the importance of negotiation and mutual respect.

Wellness

New dating app is helping disabled and chronically ill people find love

Disabled and chronically ill people are often ghosted or rejected on mainstream dating apps. Dateability is evening the playing field.

Dateability now covers the US, Canada, Mexico and the UK, with about 40,000 registered users. It was recently updated to improve the look and functionality. Photo: info.dateabilityapp.com
Australia

Why Southeast Asia’s move to protect children online may fuel state surveillance

Measures to rein in tech companies risk opening the door to tighter state oversight of online platforms, analysts say.

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Australia banned social media for children under 16 earlier this month. Photo: dpa
Artificial intelligence

Alipay and Rokid open up AI payment function on smart glasses to developers

The function has been made available to participants in the Rokid Spatial Joy 25 Global AR and AI Developer Competition.

Artificial intelligence

China’s Xreal to power Google’s Android AI glasses as smart eyewear demand grows

Project Aura, which features dual-chip design and optical see-through lenses, is a fresh example of China’s expanding R&D capabilities.

Australia

‘#seeyouwhenim16’: Australia’s social media ban for children takes effect

PM Albanese called the ban, which is being closely watched by other nations considering similar measures, ‘a proud day’ for families.

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A girl uses her phone as she walks with a group of children in Sydney on Monday. Photo: AP
Social media

‘A lot of fear’: Australia’s under-16s anxious ahead of social media ban

As blocks begin on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram before the summer holiday, teens worry they will be ‘basically isolated’ from their friends.

Australian teens Annie Wang (left), 14, and Ayris Tolson, 15, check their phones a few days before Australia’s social media ban for users under 16 is scheduled to take effect on December 10. Photo: Reuters
Australia

Video | Australia’s under-16 social media ban due to take effect

Platforms have started notifying users under 16 that their access will soon be blocked.

Britain

‘Follow me’: UK’s Starmer launches TikTok account despite security ban

Prime minister’s office insists ‘security mitigations’ are in place as he turns to the popular Chinese-owned app for greater outreach.

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Australia

TikTok will block under-16s in Australia to comply with ‘upsetting’ new law

Australia’s world-first legislation banning under-16s from social media platforms and websites comes into effect on December 10.

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TikTok will comply with an under-16 ban in Australia on social media use. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China tech war

Editorial | China’s low-cost AI is showing up America’s high-cost tech model

The real China threat is in exposing America’s AI myths by showing what can be achieved at much lower costs and with greater efficiency.

United States

Hegseth’s Signal use posed risk to US forces, Pentagon review finds

White House ‘stands by’ Pentagon chief Hegseth, who is also under intensifying scrutiny over US strikes in the Caribbean.

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Tencent

Elon Musk reiterates aim to transform X into a ‘WeChat++’ super app

Users ‘live their life on WeChat in China’ and there is no equivalent app elsewhere in the world, the entrepreneur says.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Photo: Reuters
India

India scraps mandatory cybersecurity app on new phones after backlash

The Indian government confidentially ordered companies like Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi to install the Sanchar Saathi app on their new phones.

The Sanchar Saathi app logo is seen on a phone. Photo: Reuters
Australia

Fight’s over: YouTube becomes last major platform to accept Australia’s age rule

Despite agreeing to comply, YouTube maintains that it is still ‘fundamentally different’ from other social media services.

Artificial intelligence

Ant Group’s LingGuang a hit as users create millions of flash apps with AI tool

The multimodal AI assistant can generate simple apps in as little as 30 seconds in response to users’ prompts.

Alibaba

Alibaba launches US$537 Quark AI glasses to challenge devices from Meta, Xiaomi

The glasses are expected to ‘usher in a revolution in human-computer interaction in the AI era’, Alibaba vice-president Wu Jia says.

Alibaba Group Holding’s Quark AI Glasses are named after the company’s Quark AI assistant. Photo: Handout
Artificial intelligence

Hong Kong’s HKChat raises AI expectations as 90,000 users join app in debut week

HKChat tops free app ranking on Apple’s Hong Kong App Store on Sunday.

Director Guo Yike of the Hong Kong Generative Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Centre shows the core functions of the HKChat app. Photo: May Tse
Alibaba

Alibaba to lead AI capital spending among Chinese firms amid strong demand

The group’s intention to boost AI-related capital outlay reflects its aim to spearhead China’s efforts in the race for global AI leadership.

Australia

Australia’s under-16 social media ban faces high court challenge

Critics say the world-first law, effective next month, infringes on political communication rights. Australia lacks an express free speech right.

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