This was a busy week at Tech in Asia what with our Startup Asia Singapore conference and the Startup Arena competition. But even that couldn’t stop us from also bringing you the top tech news from around Asia, so here you have it.
Willis’ and Steven’s pick: After Google Glass, Get Ready for Baidu Eye
Willis: There’s nothing known about Baidu Eye except that the project actually does exist. It may seem to be inspired by Google Glass or even a copycat. We don’t know. But if Charlie is picking up the right vibe from his Baidu source, Baidu Eye may be more than just a Glass clone. Maybe something more localized and suited for the Asian market, perhaps.
Steven: It’s inevitable that Chinese web companies will have to adapt to the next wave of wearable computing. This week we got a first glimpse of a genuine new gadget from China’s top search engine.
Minh’s pick: KakaoTalk Reveals $45 Million Revenue, $7 Million Profit
Since most of the team is at Startup Asia, I think it’s appropriate to pick a piece of news that we got here at Startup Asia. KakaoTalk’s co-CEO Sirgoo Lee dropped a nice little bomb on us, KakaoTalk makes $7 million in profit. That’s a great number and is encouraging news that chat apps are a market that definitely cannot be ignored.
Emily’s pick: RIP: MediaCorp’s ilovebooks.com Now in Deadpool
Only less than a year after its launch, Mediacorp’s ilovebooks.com has officially ceased its operations? This case might reflect some potential mistakes to study for online media ecommerce stores, especially for those who are considering entering this market!
Enricko’s pick: 9 Shocking Truths about Silicon Valley – Lessons from 100 Startup Founders (Live Blog)
Startup Asia Singapore’s last presentation turned out to be one to remember as Singtel’s head of local life and group digital life Loo Cheng Chuan shared nine truths that he found after networking quite heavily in Silicon Valley. A few lessons for startups: you don’t need the best idea or experience to succeed, just be sure you’re very passionate about what you do.
Youshen’s pick: Singapore Startup BillPin Acquires Larger Rival BillMonk
It is a surprise to see a new dynamic in Singapore; a startup’s acquisition of bigger player to tip its monopoly power in BillPin’s favour. Aside from the reduced competition, BillPin will also benefit from the merger of user data sets with BillMonk’s (50x larger). Given that BillPin has been largely self-funded, I will give credit to timing, skills, and passion.
Charlie’s pick: Official: WeChat Will “Definitely” Have to Pay Fees in China
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