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Makers of WeChat App Promise That BlackBerry 10 Version is Coming Soon (techinasia.com)



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Makers of WeChat App Promise That BlackBerry 10 Version is Coming Soon (techinasia.com)


Mar 4, 2013

by Steven Millward

http://www.techinasia.com/wechat-blackberry-10-version-coming-soon/
The Chinese-made messaging app WeChat got a version for older Blackberry models late last year. But now the makers of WeChat have promised that the app is making its way to the newest BlackBerry 10 OS “in the near future”. The pledge was made on the official Facebook page of WeChat Malaysia a couple of weeks ago, and was more recently noticed by the crew at 36Kr:
(See Image)
As with the version for older devices, the BlackBerry 10 iteration of WeChat will be crucial in its expansion into Southeast Asia and the Middle East. While much of the app’s 300-million-plus user-base is in China, the parent company Tencent (HKG:0700) is keen for the app to be China’s first social media success story, and gave it an English name in April 2012. WeChat is being promoted overseas via things like its Facebook page, but it’s up against stronger offline marketing by NHN Japan and its Line app.
Surely the BlackBerry 10 version of WeChat would get features that put it on par with its iOS and Android siblings – like video calling, song recognition, and voice chatrooms. Then it wouldn’t be so inevitably bare-bones as the BB5/6/7 and Symbian versions.
Tencent’s focus on Asia seems to be paying off, and a BB10 version of the app should help – so long as BlackBerry’s newest platform proves a hit in the Canadian company’s few remaining strongholds.
This is a heatmap of WeChat’s global user-base so far:
(Source: 36Kr – article in Chinese)


Baidu Looks Overseas Again, Offers Antivirus App in English (techinasia.com)


Mar 4, 2013

by Steven Millward

http://www.techinasia.com/baidu-antivirus-app-english-worldwide/
Just a few days after Chinese search engine Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) started to translate its developer tools and resources into English, here’s another sign that the Beijing-based company is looking to new markets overseas. Baidu now has an antivirus app for Windows, in English, that’s simply called Baidu Antivirus.
The Baidu Antivirus app is free and supports everything from XP right up to Windows 8. A Baidu representative could not be drawn to comment on this new release.
In fact, Baidu Antivirus is not entirely new, as the search company launched it under the ‘Baidu PC Faster’ name in Thailand last year, where it was offered for download on a different homepage in both English and Thai. But this new site is the first time that it’s being marketed solely in English to a potential global usership.
Baidu’s biggest export so far seems to be its mobile browser app, which is being particularly aimed at the Middle East and North Africa.
While Baidu’s new app is a challenge to other free antivirus companies around the world, it’s what the app doesn’t do yet that’s more significant. This app is not available in Chinese right now, but it surely will be at some stage. Perhaps this overseas launch is a testing ground before releasing it in Baidu’s home market. When it is made available, Baidu Antivirus will mark a new front in the increasingly intense battle between Baidu and local rival Qihoo (NYSE:QIHU).
That rivalry escalated last summer when Qihoo – which made its name with antivirus apps – launched a search engine that quickly garnered 10 percent market share. Baidu has even started a $15 million lawsuit over some of Qihoo’s search tactics. Qihoo is also under fire from authorities and some security experts over the behavior of its antivirus and desktop browser apps, which are claimed to be doing too many things without seeking the computer owner’s permission.
It’s not clear if Windows users will be too keen on a Chinese-made security app at a time of huge anxiety over hack attacks originating from China. The Baidu Antivirus app is badged as being made by “Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited” on its homepage, despite the firm being based in Beijing.


Next-Gen Gaming Consoles Like PlayStation 4 Are Leaving Chinese Players Behind (techinasia.com)


Mar 4, 2013

by C. Custer



http://www.techinasia.com/nextgen-gaming-consoles-playstation-4-leaving-chinese-players/
Sony announced the PlayStation 4 a couple weeks ago, and it looks pretty sweet. Aside from the inevitable graphics upgrade, the console’s biggest change appears to be a strategic shift towards more online interaction. It will feature live-streaming game video and remote play so that your friends can watch as you play games, and you can even pass the controller around. All the games will be available as direct digital downloads (though discs will be available too). All in all, it sounds pretty cool.
Unless, that is, you’re a console gamer in China. That’s a small group, of course, but they do exist, and they are beginning to realize that next-gen consoles like the PS4 may offer them less than ever. Of course, they can still enjoy the HD games, but the increasing focus on online service is mostly wasted in China, for a couple of reasons.
First, because of China’s console ban, most gaming companies don’t bother to operate servers in mainland China. Consoles are still widely available in China, but playing online can be a laggy mess because Chinese players are forced to connect to servers overseas. And while digital downloads may seem like a big convenience, they’re likely to be unusable for Chinese gamers. Even if the PS4′s online store isn’t region-locked, it isn’t likely to take Chinese bank cards or Alipay. And if Chinese gamers do manage to buy something, they can look forward to an extra-long download as next-gen games are likely to be very large.
The other problem is that in general, internet speeds in China aren’t great. Even without the console ban, Chinese gamers lag (literally) behind their Asian counterparts when it comes to online gaming. Even China-based video streaming sites don’t stream video content in HD*, and it seems unlikely that current connection speeds would be able to support features like 1080p live screen sharing, no matter how well-optimized it is.
Of course, the upside of Sony’s new console is that, with its departure from the Cell architecture of its predecessor and the return to more PC-like hardware, it’s likely going to be much easier to hack. So, once again, Chinese gamers are likely to be stuck with gray market consoles and pirated games. The graphics of the next-gen consoles will be nicer, of course, but pixel-peeping gamers are already playing on PCs.
It’s a shame that gaming companies don’t do more to try to accomodate Chinese console gamers, but of course, with the country’s console ban, there isn’t much they can do. That’s a law the government should really be rethinking. There really isn’t a lot of interest in console gaming in China, but I still feel for the nation’s small but stalwart bunch of console fans.
*Many Chinese video sites do claim to have HD content, but most of what’s labeled HD is still lower-resolution than what would be considered HD in the West. I’m not aware of any streaming sites that support 1080p content, and even 720p seems to be quite rare.




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