There were lots of interesting happenings in China over the past seven days, as Sina rolled out a new microblog feature, Alibaba finally privatized, and Tencent dropped some epic bling. Read on to find out more about what went down in China tech news this week.
1. Welcome to the VIP Room: Sina Weibo Begins Charging Premium Users
Early in the week we saw China’s Sina Weibo microblog roll out a subscription service that charges users for extra features. The VIP services cost a flat fee of 10 RMB (or about $1.57) per month and entitles you to things like personalized pages, voice posts, better security, and extra mobile features. Oh, and your profile will get a pretty golden crown icon.
2. See $55 Chinese Android Tablet Assembled on Factory Line [Video]
Here’s an interesting inside look at the production of a low-cost Android tablet, China’s Boxchip A13. With all the controversy surrounding factory conditions in the country, this behind-the-scenes clip gives a glimpse at the young faces working to put together electronics in China.
3. No Deal! Lashou Withdraws Its US IPO Filing
Chinese daily deals site Lashou had hoped to raise around $80 million by going public on the NASDAQ, but this past week saw the company request to withdraw its IPO filing. Bummer…
4. Alibaba.com Now Officially a Private Company
This move was long expected but it became official this week, with Alibaba issuing a quiet blog post to mark the occasion. According to Alibaba Group founder and chairman, Jack Ma, “privatization is not the end but rather a new beginning.”
5. Tencent Takes Stake in Epic Games, Makers of Unreal Engine
It was announced this week that Epic Games, the makers of Gears of War as well as everyone’s favorite iOS game Infinity Blade, received investment from Chinese internet giant Tencent, taking an undisclosed minority stake.
6. QQ and UC Are Leaders in China’s Mobile Browser Race
According to new figures from Analysys International, the mobile browser war in China is currently dominated by Mobile QQ Browser with 40 percent of the market and the upstart UC Browser, close behind with 38 percent.
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