This was a totally crazy week in tech; we saw everything from a huge acquisition to huge product announcements and even huge temperatures (although admittedly those don’t have as much to do with the tech industry). So what were our top picks? Read on, fearless technology enthusiast:
Charlie’s pick: Baidu to Buy Mobile Platform Operator 91 Wireless for $1.9 Billion
Baidu makes a nearly $2b investment and I’m the only one who picks it as the week’s top news? That’s how you know things were crazy this week. But this acquisition could be even bigger for Baidu than that sum suggests with so much of China’s mobile market still up for grabs.
Steven’s pick: Inspired by Paypal, Sina Gets Into Online Banking
Is China ready for an online bank? That’s what Chinese web giant Sina looks to be ready to launch with ‘Weibank’ (our unofficial name for it, for the time being). It’ll not only cover e-payments but also investment management, bank transfers, and more. Sina is still riding a wave with Sina Weibo having over half a billion users, so now’s the right time to try something bold.
Willis’ pick: Line Launches News App
Facebook could be the social graph for the web, but on mobile it appears chat apps like Line may have the upper hand. Just as with games, news content is likely to resonate well with Line users. Besides Line, the mobile space is dominated largely by Asian applications which include WeChat and KakaoTalk.
Roy’s pick: 5 Reasons Why There Is No Southeast Asia Kool Aid
I love controversy and opinion. Different parties have different views on how to tackle South East Asia, and this article shines a light on things start-ups and MNCs can learn from.
Lucas’s pick: Singapore’s RedMart Bags Huge Series A Funding to Expand Online Grocery Business
Garena’s Series A investment into RedMart was a surprise to me, I believe this is the first time Garena has participated in investing in other startups. Perhaps Garena is trying to diversify their portfolio away from gaming and start investing in startups with a clear exit strategy. It will be interesting to see which startups Garena will be investing in over the next few months.
Xairylle’s pick: 3 Gaming Studios Come Together to Launch a Very Quirky New iOS Game
Games that are results of collaborations are things I often look forward to. It’s always interesting to see what happens when different creative minds come together for a single purpose.
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