Here is the top trending news from the world of technology. News that every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.
1)
Xiaomi unveils its first electric car, will compete directly with Tesla
Xiaomi, the Chinese electronics giant, has unveiled its first electric car, the SU7 sedan. The car is codenamed “Speed Ultra” and is intended to compete with Tesla and Porsche in the luxury EV market. The SU7 has a sleek, modern design with a long wheelbase and a sloping roofline. Xiaomi has not yet announced the price of the SU7, but it is expected to be in the same range as Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan. The car is scheduled to go on sale in China in 2025. The SU7 is a significant milestone for Xiaomi, which is best known for its smartphones and other consumer electronics.
2)
China’s ChatGPT alternative ‘Ernie Bot’ has more than 100 million users
Baidu’s AI chatbot Ernie Bot has crossed the 100 million user mark, achieving a significant milestone in the world of large language models. This comes just a few months after its public launch in August 2023. While Ernie Bot leads all Chinese chatbots in SuperCLUE’s ranking, it currently trails behind the latest version of ChatGPT in performance metrics. Nevertheless, Baidu continues to improve its model, and future iterations could close the gap. Overall’s, Ernie’s rapid growth spells good news for China’s quest to become a powerhouse in the AI industry and compete with U.S. in the AI race.
3)
LG unveils AI powered Robot for doing Household Chores
South Korean electronics giant LG has just unveiled AI powered Bipedal robot that can perform wide-range of home chores – from greeting users at the door, greeting users at the door, controlling smart home devices to providing real-time environmental data like temperature and air quality. It can also recognize faces and voices and analyse the emotions of those around the robot, with robot also having the ability to act as your personal assistant. LG will unveil this robot at the upcoming CES 2024 in Las Vegas. However, the company hasn’t revealed any launch date for this product.
4)
India blocks Binance and other crypto platforms
The Indian finance ministry has issued a compliance showcase notice to Binance and other 8 other crypto platforms, accusing these platforms of not complying with local money laundering laws. Additionally, the URLs of these crypto platforms have been effectively banned in India, which means that these platforms cannot onboard new customers. This news will come as a huge setback for the cryptocurrency industry especially for Binance whose founder ‘Changpeng Zhao’ has already pleaded guilty in the money laundering case in the U.S.
5)
Alibaba faces lawsuit in US for selling Fake Toys
A US toy company, Kellytoy, has filed a lawsuit against Alibaba Group, accusing the e-commerce giant of facilitating the sale of counterfeit “Squishmallows” plush toys on its platforms. Kellytoy claims that Alibaba has failed to take adequate measures to prevent the sale of these fake products, despite repeated requests to do so. The Chinese e-commerce giant has had a history of selling counterfeit products in the U.S market and the latest lawsuit could cause additional damage to its reputation and also force the company to pay huge financial compensation. Counterfeit goods are generally lower-quality products that could safety risks or infringe on intellectual property right.