Technology News
Latest technology news and updates
Total: 510
From Chengdu’s Labs to the Pitch: How China Is Turning Drones into Sport—and Soft Power
Chengdu hosted the Geely·Ablefly National Drone Football Championship on 9 February, an event that blended competition and technological display. The final highlighted local training infrastructure, international student participation and municipal backing for the emerging “technology + sport” sector, underscoring Chengdu’s aim to turn recreational drone activity into an organised, innovation-driven industry.
Xiaohongshu Builds an AI Video-Editing Armory — OpenStoryline Targets Creators and Commerce
Xiaohongshu is developing OpenStoryline, an AI-powered video editing tool aimed at accelerating creator production and strengthening the app’s commerce ecosystem. The product dovetails with broader moves by Chinese tech firms to integrate generative AI, but faces regulatory, copyright and content-quality trade-offs.
Seedance 2.0: ByteDance’s AI Turns Prompts into Sounding, Moving Films — and Rewires the Cost of Production
ByteDance’s Jimeng AI has launched Seedance 2.0, a generative video model that synchronises images and sound and can follow complex camera directions. Independent tests by NetEase show striking gains in action consistency and realistic ambience, but also persistent artifacts, transition roughness and high compute costs. The model promises to lower production marginal costs and expand commercial markets while raising IP, deepfake and regulatory challenges.
China’s Sodium‑Ion Push: A Cheaper, Colder, Safer Path for Mass EV Adoption
Changan Auto and CATL unveiled a mass‑production passenger car powered by sodium‑ion batteries, claiming 400+ km range and reliable operation at extreme subzero temperatures. Backed by sizable investments and supplier commitments, sodium‑ion cells aim to complement lithium technologies by offering lower cost, better cold‑weather performance and intrinsic safety for mainstream EV segments.
Xi Jinping Tours Beijing’s ‘Xinchuang’ Park, Reinforces Push for Domestic Tech Leadership
Xi Jinping visited Beijing’s National Xinchuang Park to review domestic information-technology application innovations and to reiterate support for building an international science and technology innovation centre. The trip reinforces Beijing’s push for technological self-reliance and signals further policy and procurement support for domestic IT suppliers, with implications for foreign firms and global tech competition.
Musk Recasts Space Strategy: From Mars Dream to a ‘Lunar Laboratory’ for AI and Industry
Elon Musk has repositioned SpaceX’s focus from Mars to the Moon, arguing that the Moon’s frequent launch windows and proximity allow faster, higher‑frequency testing and iteration. The plan pairs a lunar base near the south pole with orbital AI compute powered by solar energy and lunar manufacturing, but faces major technical, economic and geopolitical hurdles.
Nio Recalls 246,000 Cars in China After Software Fault Causes Instrument-Panel Blackouts
Nio has announced a recall of 246,229 ES8, ES6 and EC6 electric vehicles in China because of a software fault that can momentarily black out instrument and central displays, depriving drivers of critical information. The company will deploy OTA updates to upgrade affected cars to Aspen 3.5.6, Alder 2.1.0 or later, with in-person service for cars that cannot be patched remotely.
Dreame’s CEO Declares Bid for the Top: A Brash Ambition, and a Message to Musk
Dreame CEO Yu Hao publicly declared an ambition to become the world’s richest person within five years while taunting Elon Musk and praising domestic rivals. The comments are part PR stunt and part strategic repositioning, signalling Dreame’s aim to be judged alongside global tech heavyweights as it expands from consumer appliances into a broader smart-technology ecosystem.
China Readies L4 Autonomous Bus Pilot in Suzhou as CRRC-Tiantong Partnership Brings Self‑Driving Tech into Public Transit
TianTong Weishi and China CRRC plan to deploy Level‑4 autonomous buses in Suzhou’s Taihu New City in Q1 2026, linking a university campus to Metro Line 7. The pilot is a contained, strategic test of driverless public transit that could inform safety rules, urban planning and commercial rollouts if it proves reliable under real‑world conditions.
Shangjie Insists Z7 Winter‑Test Photos Are Real, Not AI — A Test of Trust in Auto PR
Shangjie Automotive denied claims that images of its Z7 undergoing winter testing were AI‑generated, saying the pictures are authentic but intentionally camouflaged to protect design details. The incident highlights how generative AI and an attention‑hungry media environment complicate automakers’ efforts to communicate progress without inviting skepticism.
Pony.ai and Toyota’s GAC Unit Roll Out First Production Robotaxi, Signalling Move to Commercial Scale in China
Pony.ai and GAC Toyota have produced the first Botzhi 4X Robotaxi and plan to deploy around a thousand vehicles in China’s top cities in 2026. The move signals a shift from pilots to industrial-scale robotaxi operations, leveraging Toyota’s manufacturing and Pony.ai’s autonomous driving software.
China's Long‑Dormant Forum Tianya Says It Will Reopen on June 1, Offering Paid 'Founding' Memberships
Tianya Community plans to resume public access on June 1 after nearly three years offline, and appears to be pursuing a paid 'founding member' model. The relaunch will test whether legacy Chinese forums can rebuild user communities and commercial viability amid tighter regulation and platform consolidation.