What can we say about this week? Was it the greatest week ever in tech news? No, it was not. Was it the worst? Similarly, it wasn’t. As we gather here together to eulogize this week, let us resist the temptation to mythologize it or to villainize it, and instead simply celebrate it for what it was: a week in which some things happened. Like all weeks, its time on this earth was short, but let us not mourn its passing too bitterly, for it leaves us with the promise of new life as next week dawns, and with the fond memories of the things it shared with us while it was here. Here are some of them:
Charlie’s pick: WTO Ruling Could Open Chinese E-payments to Foreign Companies
OK, so this isn’t the most exciting sounding news ever, but the WTO’s ruling this week could have far-reaching implications in China’s e-payment industry if western giants like Visa and MasterCard are able to get their feet in the door, so to speak. Will they be able to? That’s a whole other question, but the WTO ruling has given them a chance to try, and that’s something.
Joshua’s pick: Holiday Travel Insight for Lebaran 2012 in Indonesia
Ramadan has just started and after the 30 days of fasting there will be a period of holiday which most Indonesians will enjoy. This is an interesting insight by Wego where people love to travel domestically inside this short period of holiday compared to Christmas and New Year’s holiday where people usually go abroad. With more and more travel startups emerging in Indonesia, it’s good news for them.
Willis’ pick: China 2015: 3G Everywhere, 100 Mbps Broadband
Better internet, better connections, more opportunities. It’s great to know that China is heading to that direction. By 2015, average broadband connection speeds would be 20 Mbps in cities and 4 Mbps in the countryside. 3G will be everywhere which will certainly boost the mobile industry. China still has a quite a bit of room for growth and efforts from the government should set it on the right path. Of course that’s assuming that the five-year plan goes well!
Rick’s pick: 4 Arrested in Japan for Selling DVD Copy Book with DRM Circumvention Software
I didn’t see this story until late Friday evening, but I think it’s an important one that has slipped by most mainstream media. While Japan is widely known as one of the world’s most technologically advanced nations, authorities and IP weasels keep outdoing themselves with irrationally aggressive defense of their copyright to the point that could affect many non-offending individuals as well.
Steven’s pick: ZTE and Suning See Stocks Plummet After Profit Warnings
Looking to the broader economic situation, this week we saw a number of Chinese stocks drop to significant lows. Among them were telecoms firm and phone-maker ZTE, and retailer and e-tailer Suning. ZTE (HKG:0763; SHE:000063) is looking in especially bad shape, with 2012 H1 profits set to slump as much as 80 percent. Along with other suffering stocks – such as real estate giant Vancl and High Street electronics retailer Gome – it might well point to an alarming slowdown in the Chinese economy as a whole.
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