Pandaily's Digest #20211013
A deep dive into the wildly popular game 'Mobile Legends: Bang Bang' and its path to success, a Baidu executive's comments on autonomous driving, Bitmain's retreat from mainland China, and more.
Stay Patient, Stay Diverse: A Mobile Game’s Road to Industry Legend
As of July 2021, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has reached 1 billion downloads, and the number of monthly active players has stabilized at over 100 million. Currently, it ranks among the top 10 best-selling games on App Stores in more than 120 countries. Similarly, on Google Play, the game has entered the top grossing chart and secured its top 10 place in more than 60 countries. As the name suggests, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has indeed become a legend in the mobile game industry five years after its launch.
Baidu Executive: The Death Rate of Traffic Accidents to be Reduced by 90% In Era of Autonomous Driving
At the first REAL Technology Conference hosted by Jiemian on Wednesday, Wei Dong, Vice President and Chief Safety Operation Officer of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Business Group, said in a recent speech that in the era of autonomous driving, the death rate in traffic accidents will be reduced by 90%.
Bitmain Halts Shipment of Antminers to Chinese Consumers
Bitmain, a global manufacturer of bitcoin mining machines, has confirmed that starting October 11 it would halt all shipments of its “Antminers” to mainland China. The firm said it would advise longstanding customers in mainland China on how they can purchase their mining equipment elsewhere.
Tesla Delivers Over 50,000 Vehicles and Over 30,000 Model Ys in China in September
According to data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on Tuesday, the wholesale sales volume of Tesla’s Shanghai factory in China in September was 56,006 vehicles, up 27% month-on-month and 394% year-on-year.
U.S.-Listed OneSmart Education to Terminate Operations
Several employees of OneSmart Education, a tutoring institution listed publicly in the U.S., revealed that the company had told them that it would announce the closure of business on Tuesday, and did not inform the employees regarding salary payments.
CATL to Invest $4.9B in New Battery Upstream Material Project
On October 12, Chinese battery firm Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) announced that its subsidiary company plans to invest in the construction of an integrated battery material industrial park project in Yichang, Hubei Province, with a maximum price tag of 32 billion yuan ($4.96 billion) and a building period of six years.
Niu Technologies Sells Nearly 400,000 E-Scooters in China, Overseas Sales Fall by 11.2%
Niu Technologies, a two-wheeled electric vehicle (EV) brand, released its third-quarter sales data on Monday. The company sold 397,079 e-scooters, including 392,112 in the Chinese market and 4,967 in international markets, representing 58.3% year-on-year growth.
China VC Weekly: Chip Packaging, EVs and Bone Grafting
In last week’s VC news, integrated circuit chip developer SJ Semiconductor has raised $300 million in a Series C round to expand R&D investment, Baidu- and Tencent-backed electric-vehicle (EV) maker WM Motor Holdings has raised a roughly equivalent sum in a recent funding round, an Israeli startup producing bioactive, coral-based bone graft materials announced that it has completed an investment round of $3.7 million to help expand its presence in China.
iOS 15’s New Privacy Feature Reveals Some Chinese Applications May Have Collected Excessive User Information
Chinese domestic media outlet SYcaijing reported on Monday that after testing Apple products’ new privacy feature, it was found that WeChat, Meituan, Baidu Maps and other popular applications continuously obtained users’ personal information by running in the background, revealing a risk of over-collecting users’ personal information.
Model 3 Owner Ordered to Pay Tesla Over $7K for Falsely Claiming Brake Failure
Tesla’s legal war against a Model 3 owner in China has proved victorious, as the owner has now been ordered to provide 50,000 yuan ($7,752) in compensation and publicly apologize to the EV maker.