8:01 AM | "Black Myth: Wukong" Wins Three Awards on Steam; Color Options of iPhone Youth Edition Exposed, Possibly Starting at $499; Lei Jun Denies That Building Xiaomi Cars Only Costs 10 Billion Yuan.
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TOP 3 Big News
Black Myth: Wukong Wins Three Awards on Steam
According to the news from IT Home on January 1, 2024 has passed, and the Steam platform has also announced the highly anticipated results of the Annual Game Awards as scheduled. After being nominated and voted by players, finally, "Black Myth: Wukong" stood out and won the Game of the Year Award at one stroke, and at the same time won two other major awards, becoming the biggest winner of this selection.
It is well-deserved that "Black Myth: Wukong" can be honored as the Game of the Year. Currently, the game has a 96% favorable rating on Steam. Not only that, "Black Myth: Wukong" also won the "Love It Even with Clumsy Hands" and the "Outstanding Storytelling Game Award" at the same time, fully demonstrating its excellent performance in gameplay, difficulty design, and narrative. (IT Home)
The color options of iPhone Youth Edition exposed, and it may start at $499.
On December 31, 2024, it was revealed that Apple will launch a new iPhone model in 2025. The product name will not be iPhone SE 4, but iPhone 16E. The source also stated that the iPhone 16E phone adopts a design similar to the iPhone 14, equipped with an OLED screen and operation buttons, and it will come in two colors: white and black.
This phone features a 6.06-inch 60Hz OLED screen. The camera configuration of this phone is the same as the main camera and front camera of the iPhone 16, both with a 48-megapixel rear "Fusion" lens (capable of shooting standard photos and 2x zoom photos) and a 12-megapixel TrueDepth front camera, but it lacks an ultra-wide-angle lens.
The iPhone 16E will support Apple Intelligence and will be the first to be equipped with Apple's self-developed 5G modem. This is the first major update for Apple's low-end smartphones since the iPhone SE supported 5G in 2022. Regarding the price, it was previously reported that the starting price of the iPhone 16E is $499. (IT Home)
Lei Jun Denies That It Only Takes 10 Billion to Build Xiaomi Cars
In the New Year's Eve live broadcast at the Xiaomi factory on the evening of December 31, 2024, Lei Jun said that Xiaomi Cars have cost about 30 billion so far, not "only 10 billion to build the cars" as blown by online marketing accounts. Industry rules should be respected. Lei Jun stated that this is the last rumor refutation in 2024. For those marketing accounts that praise him as the God of Marketing and the God of Entrepreneurship, he hopes that when people see them, they can help him click to report. (Jiemian News)
Big Companies / Major Events
Lei Jun Sets the First Flag for 2025: Xiaomi Automobile Aims to Deliver 300,000 Units
At 8 p.m. on December 31, 2024, Beijing Time, Lei Jun started the New Year's Eve live stream. Lei Jun revealed in the live stream that the annual sales of Xiaomi Automobile reached 135,000 units in 2024. When it comes to the sales of Xiaomi Automobile in 2025, Lei Jun has set an internal delivery target of 300,000 units for the company. (Tencent Technology)
The price of cherries starts high but drops later, but there is a problem of "goods not as described" when purchasing cherries online
In 2024, the price of cherries starts high but drops later, showing a cliff-like decline. Among them, the price of cherries of single J size has dropped the most, with some even dropping to 15 - 20 yuan per jin. The prices of cherries of 2J and 3J sizes have also dropped by more than 30% compared with the early stage of listing, and the prices are almost halved compared with previous years. However, many consumers found that there is a problem of "goods not as described" after purchasing cherries online. The size of 3J cherries is between 30mm - 32mm. The reporter bought several kinds of cherries online and found that the number of cherries that meet the standard is less than half. The worst box of cherries only has 6 cherries that meet the size standard. (Bandao Metropolis Daily)
All 179 Victims of the Korean Air Crash Identified
According to CCTV News, on January 1 local time, the identities of all the victims of the Korean Jeju Air crash have been confirmed. On December 29, 2024, a passenger plane of Korean Jeju Air deviated from the runway and hit the airport fence when landing at Muan Airport in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Except for 2 people who were rescued, all the remaining 179 people on board were killed. This is the most serious air crash with the highest casualties that has occurred in South Korea. (CCTV News)
Tencent Music's "Kugou Music" Found Guilty of Infringement
On December 31, the Music Copyright Society of China issued an announcement stating that Tencent Music Entertainment Group was found to have infringed upon copyrights as the court ruled that it used music works managed by the Music Copyright Society of China without permission. According to the announcement, as of December 19, 2024, regarding the dispute over the infringement of the right to disseminate information on musical works on the Internet by "Kugou Music," a subsidiary of Tencent Music, the Music Copyright Society of China has received the second-instance judgment from the Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court. All judgments rejected the appeal of Kugou Music and upheld the original judgment. The first-instance court determined that Kugou Music infringed upon the right to disseminate information on the Internet of the musical works that the Music Copyright Society of China enjoys, and should bear the corresponding liability for infringement according to law. Regarding the specific reasons for the judgment in the case, the first-instance court held that after the expiration of the cooperation contract between Kugou Music and the Music Copyright Society of China, Kugou Music used multiple songs collectively managed by the Music Copyright Society of China without permission, with a relatively obvious subjective fault. In terms of compensation, the first-instance court ruled that Kugou Music should compensate the Music Copyright Society of China for a total economic loss of nearly 220,000 RMB in the above case. (Jiemian News)
Huawei's new products come with the native HarmonyOS by default.
Chained Finance News, January 1st. According to Huawei, in 2025, Huawei's new mobile phones, tablets, and wearable devices will come with the native HarmonyOS operating system by default, and more and more older models will also gradually complete the upgrade to the native HarmonyOS. (Chained Finance News)
Apple is Expected to Release 19 New Products in 2025
On January 1, the latest reports show that Apple's new products in 2025 will be in full swing. It is expected to release 19 new products, covering six categories including smartphones, tablets, laptop computers, wearable devices, smart home, and other peripherals. New products will be launched in almost all product lines.
From the perspective of the new product timeline, in the first half of the year, iPhone SE4, Smart Home Control Center, the new MacBook Air, iPad 11, iPad Air 7, the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, etc. will be successively launched. After that, AirTag 2, Mac Studio, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, the new iPad Pro, Apple Watch 11 series, Apple Watch Ultra 3, AirPods Pro 3, Vision Pro 2, HomePod 3, HomePod mini 2, iPhone 17 series, Apple TV 4K, etc. will follow. (Ifeng Technology)
The total box office of movies in 2024 is 42.5 billion yuan
According to the statistics of the National Film Administration, the total box office of movies in 2024 is 42.502 billion yuan. Among them, the box office of domestic films is 33.439 billion yuan, accounting for 78.68%; the number of moviegoers in urban cinemas is 1.01 billion. (CCTV News)
"Overwatch" Chinese Server Officially Announces Return on February 19
36Kr has learned that the official Weibo of Overwatch announced that the Chinese server will officially return on February 19. Before the official return, the official will invite everyone to participate in the public technical test from January 8 to 15, 2025. All participating players will receive appearance rewards afterwards. Currently, the reservation for the Chinese server has been opened, and the official stated that all account data has been completely retained. Previously, due to the expiration of the agreement between the agent NetEase and the "Overwatch" production company Blizzard Entertainment, the "Overwatch" series ceased operations in the Chinese mainland on January 24, 2023. Thereafter, on April 10, 2024, NetEase Games officially announced that it would bring Blizzard games back to the Chinese server.
Alibaba Sells Entire Stake in Sun Art Retail for HK$13.138 Billion
On the evening of January 1, Alibaba Group issued an announcement stating that its subsidiary and NewRetail have reached a deal with DCP Capital to sell all of their stakes in Sun Art Retail for up to approximately HK$13.138 billion, accounting for 78.7% of the issued shares of Sun Art Retail.
In 2017, Alibaba first invested in Sun Art Retail. After further increasing its holdings in 2020, Sun Art Retail became a consolidated subsidiary of Alibaba Group. In October 2024, Sun Art Retail issued an announcement informing the market that there was a buyer interested in the acquisition. On the evening of January 1, 2025, the transaction was finally finalized. According to the announcement, DCP Capital will acquire 7,027,297,350 shares of Sun Art Retail (accounting for approximately 73.66% of the total issued shares of Sun Art Retail) held by Alibaba's wholly-owned subsidiary GSR and Taobao China, and 480,369,231 shares of Sun Art Retail (accounting for approximately 5.04% of the total issued shares of Sun Art Retail) held by NewRetail at a maximum overall price of HK$1.75 per share (including HK$1.55 in cash and HK$0.2 in interest). The maximum amount that Alibaba's subsidiary and NewRetail will receive is approximately HK$13.138 billion.
According to the latest interim financial results for the fiscal year released by Sun Art Retail, the half-year revenue was RMB 34.708 billion, and the net profit was RMB 186 million, achieving a turnaround from a loss to a profit. As of September 30, 2024, the number of employees in the Sun Art Retail Group was 85,778. (Jiemian News)
Samsung Invests Hundreds of Billions of Korean Won to Acquire Shares in Robot Company and Plans to Establish Future Robot Office
According to a public document of the South Korean robot company Rainbow Robotics on December 30, Samsung Electronics has become its largest shareholder. According to the document, Samsung has invested 267 billion Korean won to purchase a large number of shares of Rainbow Robotics, totaling approximately 3.93 million shares. After the completion of the share transfer, Samsung Electronics is expected to hold 35% of the shares, and the planned date is February 17, 2025. In addition, Samsung Electronics simultaneously announced in another statement that through this acquisition, it will officially establish a "Future Robot Office" that reports directly to the CEO in the future. It is understood that Rainbow Robotics is a South Korean intelligent robot R & D manufacturer, mainly engaged in the research and development, manufacturing and sales of collaborative robots. (Zhitong Finance)
Vivo's Hu Baishan: Vivo's largest future technological investment will be in the fields of MR (Mixed Reality) and humanoid robots
36Kr has learned that recently, Hu Baishan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Vivo, stated that Vivo's largest future technological investment will be in the fields of MR (Mixed Reality) and humanoid robots. However, he predicts that the ideal robot (to appear) will take more than 10 years, or even 15 years. Therefore, Vivo's strategy is to lay eggs along the way, be clear about the state of technological maturity in the next 3 to 5 years, and in this process, launch products that meet the needs of specific scenarios.
The number of daily active devices of WPS Office PC version in China exceeds 100 million
36Kr learned that on January 1, 2025, Kingsoft Office announced that the number of daily active devices of WPS Office PC version in China exceeded 100 million. Public information shows that Kingsoft Office has been in its 37th year since its establishment in 1988.
In 2025, Shanghai will continue to carry out the activity of trading in old consumer goods for new ones.
The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce introduced that according to the arrangement, in 2025, Shanghai will continue to carry out the activities of trading in old cars, home appliances, home furnishings, and electric bicycles for new ones. Eight categories of products that have been included in the national home appliance trade-in policy support scope in 2024, including refrigerators (including freezers), washing machines, televisions, air conditioners (including central air conditioners), computers (including desktop and portable computers), water heaters (including wall-mounted boilers), household cookers (including integrated cookers), and range hoods, will continue to implement the trade-in subsidy policy from January 1, 2025. (The Paper)
Starting from January 1, a batch of national standards will be implemented
Starting from January 1, 2025, a number of important national standards, such as the collision protection of automobiles for pedestrians, the network security of industrial Internet enterprises, the minor guardianship system for online games, the safety of mass sports events, the barrier-free bath machine, and the service specifications of community fresh food stores, will be implemented. These will provide standard support for leading the optimization and upgrading of traditional industries, regulating the healthy development of emerging industries, promoting the standardized construction of the service industry, ensuring safe production and public safety, and meeting the people's needs for a better life. (Jiemian News)
Baiwang Co., Ltd. Announces the Resignation of Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Board Secretary Hou Shifei
36Kr has learned that Baiwang Co., Ltd. announced that Hou Shifei, the company's vice president, chief financial officer and board secretary, will resign on December 30, 2024, in order to achieve his personal career development goals. Hou Shifei confirmed that he has no disagreement with the board of directors, and there is no matter regarding his resignation that needs to be brought to the attention of the company's shareholders and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.
The number of inbound travel reservations from South Korea to China during the Spring Festival has increased by 452%.
Less than a month away from the Spring Festival of the Snake Year, the New Year travel market has clearly warmed up. As the first Spring Festival holiday after the successful application for intangible cultural heritage, checking in for intangible cultural heritage experience activities and having an authentic Chinese New Year, the "New Year Flavor Tour" is becoming the top choice for domestic tourists during the Spring Festival of the Snake Year.
It is worth mentioning that experiencing the Chinese New Year in China has become a trend on overseas social media platforms. The implementation of the visa-free policy for South Korea at the end of 2024 has attracted a large number of South Korean tourists to popular tourist cities such as Harbin, Chengdu, and Shanghai. On overseas social media platforms, check-in photos and travel Vlogs of the Bund, giant pandas, ice sculptures, etc. are spreading rapidly among young people. In a barbecue restaurant in Shanghai, putting on an ice patch while eating kebabs has become a new standard for South Koreans traveling in Shanghai. During the Spring Festival, the number of inbound travel reservation orders from South Korea has increased by 452% year-on-year. (The Paper)
The Prices of Multiple Wuling Bingo Models Are Adjusted
36Kr learned that on January 1, Wuling Motors announced the price adjustment of multiple SUV models of Wuling Bingo. The new guiding price of the 401-kilometer endurance version is 82,800 yuan, with a price reduction of 2,000 yuan; the new guiding price of the 510-kilometer endurance version is 89,800 yuan, with a price reduction of 6,000 yuan. The Wuling Bingo SUV adopts a 5-seat layout and was officially launched on September 20, 2024.
The Forefront of AI
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Announces the Company's 2025 Goals
36Kr has learned that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced the company's new goals for 2025. Previously, Altman solicited netizens' wishes for OpenAI on his personal media account. After that, Altman announced OpenAI's new goals for 2025. In the goals, AGI ranks first, and the other rankings are agents, making 4o upgrades better, stronger memory ability, longer context, "growth mode", the ability to conduct in-depth research, a better Sora, and more personalized settings.
Baidu's 25th Anniversary: Robin Li Sends a Message to All Employees: AI Technology and Applications Will Boom in 2025
36Kr has learned that on January 1, 2025, which is also Baidu's 25th anniversary, Robin Li, the founder of Baidu, sent a message to all employees in the evening, stating, "For 25 years, we have always been at the forefront of technology, and we always believe that technological innovation is Baidu's core competitiveness." The message expressed expectations for 2025, "Although a super application has not yet emerged, the actual penetration rate of AI is already not low, and it will continue to grow explosively in 2025."
The Preview Version of Zhipu's Deep Inference Model GLM-Zero Is Online
36Kr learned that on December 31, Zhipu announced the launch of the first-generation version of the deep inference model GLM-Zero, GLM-Zero-Preview. According to the official introduction, this is Zhipu's first inference model trained based on extended reinforcement learning technology. It is a model focused on enhancing the reasoning ability of AI, and is good at handling mathematical logic, code, and complex problems that require in-depth reasoning. Compared with the same base model, GLM-Zero-Preview has significantly improved its performance in expert task capabilities without significantly reducing the ability of general tasks. In the evaluations of AIME 2024, MATH500, and LiveCodeBench, its effect is comparable to that of OpenAI o1-preview. The official also said that the current GLM-Zero-Preview still has a lot of gaps compared with OpenAI's o3 model, and Zhipu will continue to optimize and iterate in the future.
"Luka AI Learning Companion" Reservations Exceed 20,000 Units within 2 Days
36Kr has learned that as of December 30, 2024, the reservations for "Luka AI Learning Companion" developed by Luka Intelligence on the JD.com platform have exceeded 20,000 units. Luka Intelligence was founded in 2016 and is an innovative technology company focused on the research and development of AI education hardware. Its star products include the Luka series of early education robots and the Luka picture book reading robots, etc. The cumulative sales have approached nearly 10 million units.
Investment and Financing
"Juhui Trade" Secures 10 Million Angel Round Financing
36Kr has learned that "Juhui Trade" has completed an angel round of financing of 10 million RMB. This round of financing is led by Shenzhen Venture Capital Venture Investment Co., Ltd. This financing is mainly used to strengthen the cooperation with local food production enterprises in Russia to ensure the stability of the product supply chain and the diversity of products. Expand the promotion efforts in the domestic market to enhance brand awareness and market share. Optimize and upgrade the company's logistics and distribution system.
"Boyin Hearing" Completes Nearly 100 Million Yuan RMB Series B Financing
36Kr has learned that Boyin Hearing Equipment (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. recently announced the completion of a new round of strategic financing, with the financing amount of nearly 100 million yuan RMB. This round of financing is jointly led by Guangzhou Industrial Investment and Yaojin Capital, and Hao Yue Capital serves as the exclusive financial advisor for this transaction. Boyin Hearing was founded in Minhang District, Shanghai in 2019 and is an enterprise that independently researches and develops medical-grade hearing aids.
Cool Products
Intel May Launch Arc B580 Graphics Card with 24GB VRAM in the First Half of 2025
According to the media BenchLife.info, Intel plans to launch an independent graphics card with the "Battlemage" architecture and 24GB VRAM in the first half of 2025. It is expected to be the Arc B580 24GB. This 24GB graphics card will be based on the BMG-G21 GPU core, just like the existing Arc B580 12GB, and will be equipped with 12 16Gb (2GB) GDDR6 VRAM. The specific launch time may be from the end of the first quarter to the beginning of the second quarter of 2025. (BenchLife.info)
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