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H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (24 November 2018) – The Difference Between Fixing and Healing

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (24 November 2018) – The Difference Between Fixing and Healing

Companies

• Meituan, China’s ‘everything app’, walks away from bike sharing and ride hailing (Techcrunch)
• Info Edge invests in Bizcrum Infotech; Bizcrum develops ShoeKonnect, a B2B (Business-to-business) marketplace mobile app that enables footwear brands, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to connect, communicate & transact with each other for (SI)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• The FAANG Stocks: A Case-by-Case Analysis (Barron’s); Charts: Visualizing the Bear Market in FAANG Stocks (VC)
• The new Yahoo? Facebook should heed the lessons of internet history; Its business model is threatened by lower usage and advertiser discontent (Economist)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• The Future of Lunch Delivery Looks Like a Giant Roomba; In Beijing, a delivery bot gives office workers a taste of how robots will operate alongside humans (WSJ)
• Chinese and Korean games edge into Japan’s hit-hungry market; NetEase’s ‘Knives Out’ makes No. 5 in 2018 sales (Nikkei)
• Online shopping in Singapore is lackluster even after Amazon Inc. debuted its Prime service in mid-2017. With vacancies rising, landlords are repositioning to survive (Bloomberg)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Logitech in talks to acquire headphone maker Plantronics – sources (Reuters)
• Teaching AI to read is harder than it seems (AFR)

Life

• The Difference Between Fixing and Healing (OnBeing)
• Do This Ritual At The End Of Each Week To Become More Productive; On the surface it’s about getting your daily work done, but on a deeper level it’s about re-framing who you are really working for. (FastCo)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (23 November 2018) – Computer vision: how Israel’s secret soldiers drive its tech success; The country is a leader in image analysis thanks to the alumni of elite surveillance group Unit 9900

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (23 November 2018) – Computer vision: how Israel’s secret soldiers drive its tech success; The country is a leader in image analysis thanks to the alumni of elite surveillance group Unit 9900

Companies

• Meituan Should Carve Up an Albatross to Create a Unicorn; There’s a fine business hiding inside the Chinese food-delivery giant that’s waiting to be set free. (Bloomberg)
• Can Momo Inc become a winner in China’s video-streaming market? (CK)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Top Global Fund Says Bye Bye Samsung, Hello Taiwan’s TSMC (Bloomberg)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• How one Chinese company generates reviews on Amazon (FT)
• Inside China’s Silicon Valley: From copycats to innovation (CNN)
• This Shenzhen Robotics Firm Is Selling Industrial Robot Arms To The Masses (Forbes)
• China’s high-technology revolution extends to the factory floor; Robots replace some jobs but collaboration between humans and machines is key element (FT)
• Facial recognition snares China’s air con queen Dong Mingzhu for jaywalking, but it’s not what it se (SCMP)
• Dot-Com Ghosts Haunt Emerging Stocks as Tech Profits Stall (Bloomberg) 

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Computer vision: how Israel’s secret soldiers drive its tech success; The country is a leader in image analysis thanks to the alumni of elite surveillance group Unit 9900 (FT)
• Unbundling The Autonomous Vehicle (CBI)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (22 November 2018) – Koh Young’s Joel Scutchfield on Smart Factory Connectivity

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (22 November 2018) – Koh Young’s Joel Scutchfield on Smart Factory Connectivity

Companies

• Solid-state batteries ready to debut in home appliances; TDK reduces the devices to fingertip-size, with the ability to recharge 1,000 times (Nikkei)
• Koh Young’s Joel Scutchfield on Smart Factory Connectivity (iconnect)
• Apple iPhone Supplier Foxconn Planning Deep Cost Cuts (Bloomberg)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Alibaba’s new hotel: robot bellboys and face-recognition gimmick (KRA)
• Alibaba suffers rare ‘down round’ investment as Babytree’s HK IPO prices low – sources (Reuters)
• Investments fuel a third of profits at Tencent and Alibaba; Chinese technology giants are becoming increasingly reliant on M&A activities (FT)
• Tencent e-wallet is following Alibaba to Hong Kong subways (Techcrunch)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• S. chipmaker Nvidia to provide AI platform for Chinese EV start-ups (Reuters)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Suning sets sights on big data to serve evolving retail needs (Technode)
• Beijing to Judge Every Resident Based on Behavior by End of 2020 (Bloomberg)
• Southeast Asia must guard against digital domination risks; Global technology giants threaten region’s local entrepreneurs (Nikkei)
• PT Tokopedia, Indonesia’s largest online marketplace, has become the country’s most valuable startup after raising $1 billion from existing investors including SoftBank (Bloomberg)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Ford’s Autonomous Cars Will Whisk Walmart Deliveries to Doorsteps; The automaker will put its self-driving vehicles to use for the world’s biggest retailer. (Bloomberg)
• STMicro, Automotive Chipmakers Say There’s Gas Left in Car Chips (Bloomberg)
• Inside the New Industrial Revolution; The mobile internet, automation and AI will have profound implications. Here’s a closer look at how the old and new economies compare. (WSJ)
• Europe’s 100 digital champions: Explore the people and companies leading Europe’s growth in five categories (FT)
• How Disney’s Channels Are Doing in the Era of Shrinking TV Bundles (Bloomberg)
• With ‘licence to expand’, Schibsted spin-off eyes classified ad mergers (Reuters)
• Online Fashion Thrives for New Retailer Where Women Call Shots (Bloomberg)

Life

• Noble – too much faith in a ‘clean’ audit? (BT)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (21 November 2018) – Yamaha’s CSP-170 makes learning piano easy with LED lights and one clever app + Podcast #459: Beyond Gratitude Lite: The Real Virtue of Thankfulness

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (21 November 2018) – Yamaha’s CSP-170 makes learning piano easy with LED lights and one clever app + Podcast #459: Beyond Gratitude Lite: The Real Virtue of Thankfulness

Companies

• Yamaha’s CSP-170 makes learning piano easy with LED lights and one clever app (TNW)
• Tencent-Backed Travel Site Raises $180 Million in Hong Kong IPO (Bloomberg)
• Crunch time for Tencent Music’s 2018 $2 billion IPO hopes (Reuters)
• NetEase Ding Lei: China will remain world’s best market for next decade (KRA)
• Sea Ltd., operator of Southeast Asia’s biggest gaming platform, reported a wider third-quarter loss on rising investments at e-commerce unit Shopee. (Bloomberg)
• How India is preparing for the Electric Mobility revolution: Why a robust ecosystem is critical; Delta is the name behind the Bharat Charger, a make in India Charger for the current crop of Indian Electric Cars (FE)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Alibaba makes strategic investment in home renovation platform “007 eService”; To Alibaba, this investment is about its New Retail plan. (KRA)
• Samsung doubles down on virtual assistant in growth push; Digital assistant Bixby to be standard on all of company’s electronics products by 2020 (FT); Samsung is working on a version of Bixby that constantly learns new skills from its owners (AFR)
• SoftBank to Invest $2 Billion in Korean E-Commerce Site Coupang (Bloomberg)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• How Amazon marches to the beat of a different drum (BT)
• Microsoft Finds Itself in Favor as Stock Rout Punishes FAANGs (Bloomberg)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Are China’s Billionaire Tech Founders Slipping Out of Touch? A #MeToo gaffe suggests that in entrepreneurship as in society, the old ways aren’t working too well. (Bloomberg)
• Chinese Tech Companies Get a New Exchange in Shanghai (Bloomberg)
• An intro into the e-commerce players in Vietnam (KRA)
• How a battery of feet-on-street counsellors that doubles up as a sales army is helping Toppr score in revenue and reach. Will the offline gambit pay off for the edutech startup? (Forbes)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Founder’s Big Idea to Revive BuzzFeed’s Fortunes? A Merger With Rivals (NYT)
• Disaster relief is dangerously broken. Can AI fix it? (FastCo)
• Dot-Com Ghosts Haunt Emerging Stocks as Tech Profits Stall (Bloomberg)

Life

• Podcast #459: Beyond Gratitude Lite: The Real Virtue of Thankfulness (AOM)
• The Entrepreneur’s Journey — The Winding Road to Success through Failure (Medium)
• Four Things Leonardo da Vinci Can Teach Us About Investing (ODD)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (20 November 2018) – The New Quartz App: Uzabase’s Bet on the Future of News on Social Media + Bill Gates: If you want to understand the tech world, watch ‘Silicon Valley’

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (20 November 2018) – The New Quartz App: Uzabase’s Bet on the Future of News on Social Media + Bill Gates: If you want to understand the tech world, watch ‘Silicon Valley’

Companies

• The New Quartz App: Uzabase’s Bet on the Future of News on Social Media (TGNR)
• Meituan co-founder raises $30m for his community group buying platform SongShuPinPin (KRA)
• Xiaomi Embraces a Smartphone Future With Meitu Deal; A savvy licensing arrangement with a struggling competitor affirms the Chinese tech company’s true identity. (Bloomberg)
• Better Buy: Momo Inc. vs. Huya; Which Chinese live-streaming platform has more staying power? (MF)
• China’s JD.com feels pressure as sales of big ticket items slow (Reuters)
• Airtac to see profit decline as trade war weighs sales (Taipei Times)
• Serko CEO says business travel safe from digital disruption (AFR)
• TechnologyOne hits nine years of record profits (AFR)
• Nucleus Financial inks new platform system agreement with Bravura Solutions (SM)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Tencent turns to Southeast Asia after Beijing clampdown; Chinese conglomerate signs 5-year sales deal with Singapore’s Garena (Nikkei)
• SoftBank’s Deepcore and accelerator Zeroth team up to hunt early-stage AI opportunities (Techcrunch); SoftBank unveils AI vacuum robot for offices; Whiz seen broadening robotics business beyond Pepper (Nikkei)
• FSC’s order puts brakes on Samsung heir’s succession (KH)
• TSMC to challenge Intel data center dominance with IBM win (Nikkei)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Apple’s Tools Sneak Into Business; Sneaker companies GOAT and Flight Club are relying on Apple services to cope with a surge of employees and customers (WSJ)
• Apple said to cut orders from two China component suppliers by 30% on lukewarm iPhone XR demand (SCMP)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• China alleges ‘massive’ evidence of chipmaker violations: Beijing says probe into Samsung, Micron and SK Hynix has made ‘important progress’ (FT)
• China investors dump once-acquisitive firms on write-down fears; Simei Media Co (002712.SZ), Wanda Film (002739.SZ) and Glodon Software (002410.SZ) – once acquisitive firms with large goodwill assets – were among the biggest losers (Reuters)
• IPO hopefuls forced to slash valuations as Asian listings slump (Nikkei)
• Apart from the low-cost economy rooms that OYO is famous for, it now has a variety of options such as Townhouse (premium-economy), Home (homestays), SilverKey (executive apartments), Oyo Living (long-term housing rental), Capital O (corporate living spaces), Palette Resorts (upper-end leisure resorts) and Weddingz.in (wedding banquets). (Forbes)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• com out to secure leadership position in Korea (Investor)
• How A Mysterious Tech Billionaire Created Two Fortunes-And A Global Software Sweatshop (Forbes)
• How Software Is Helping Big Companies Dominate (HBR)
• Tesla hints at seeking new battery suppliers in blow to Panasonic (NIkkei)
• Outlook for Traditional TV Goes From Bad to Worse; Cord-cutters continue to chip away at cable and satellite providers’ dominance of the living room (WSJ)

Life

• Bill Gates: If you want to understand the tech world, watch ‘Silicon Valley’ (MW)
• 5 principles for making better life decisions (Mark Manson)
• Why “Many-Model Thinkers” Make Better Decisions (HBR)
• China’s regulator gets tougher on firms for major law breaches and frauds, sending ‘special treatment’ stocks tumbling (SCMP)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (19 November 2018) – ‘Dragon Ball’ Continues to Top Profits With Bandai + The Stress Test: How Pressure Can Make You Stronger and Sharper

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (19 November 2018) – ‘Dragon Ball’ Continues to Top Profits With Bandai + The Stress Test: How Pressure Can Make You Stronger and Sharper

Companies

• ‘Dragon Ball’ Continues to Top Profits With Bandai (CB)
• Ping An Good Doctor blazes trail in developing unstaffed, AI-assisted clinics in China (SCMP)
• Xiaomi Has Chance to Justify Lofty Valuation After 23% Slide (Bloomberg)
• iFAST founder Lim confident China business will be exciting (Edge)
• Ennoconn to raise funds via shares (Taipei Times)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Alibaba makes strategic investment in home renovation platform “007 eService” (KRA)
• Tencent turns to Sea to sell games in south-east Asia (FT); Chinese consumers send Tencent disturbing message on apps; Tech giant faces challenge to online businesses outside gaming (Nikkei)
• SoftBank’s Next Robot After Pepper Skips Chit Chat, Mops Floors (Bloomberg)
• Ill-timed scandal for the ‘Republic of Samsung’; BioLogics case highlights wider problems for Korea Inc and president Moon (Nikkei)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Inside Apple’s humans-first, tech second news platform (Age)
• Nvidia Hands an $824 Million Windfall to Semiconductor Shorts (Bloomberg)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Meet The Man Behind Oppo’s Super Fast Charging Speeds (Forbes)
• US listings back in favour after China tech firms’ Hong Kong IPOs fail to take off, says JPMorgan (SCMP)
• iPhone glass supplier Biel Crystal postpones US$1.5 billion Hong Kong listing amid market rout (SCMP)
• Japanese drone startup ACSL files for IPO (Bridge)
• Indonesian Tokopedia launches service to bridge online and offline retailing (KRA)
• Thailand is pioneering the future of robotics and automation (qz)
• Three Charts That Explain Boom in Southeast Asia’s Net Economy (Bloomberg)
• Think Your Postal Service Has Problems? Try Delivering to 18,000 Far-Flung Islands; In Indonesia, an online shopping boom that should be helping the mail service is actually making things worse. (Bloomberg)
• OYO already had the bucks. Now it has a CEO who can use them (qz)
• Should India credit Modi’s demonetisation for digital boom? (SCMP)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Box CEO Aaron Levie thinks big companies are responding to disruption the wrong way (qz)
• Chip industry’s new paradigm looks like the old one (BT)
• Investors Don’t Think Much of Michael Dell’s Company (Barron’s)
• Spotify, Pandora Turn to Podcasts for Listeners, Profits; Music-streaming giants are poised to use their machine-learning and AI capabilities to help listeners discover new podcasts (WSJ)
• ‘Uber Eats and Deliveroo should be very worried’: Ruling to reshape gig economy (Age)

Life

• The story of Li Ka-shing, the billionaire who made early bets on Facebook, Spotify (TIA)
• The Unfair Advantage Of Discomfort (ROIhttps://kc-roi.com/blog/the-unfair-advantage-of-discomfort)
• History of Corporate “Misadventures” in India (PRDNT)
• The Stress Test: How Pressure Can Make You Stronger and Sharper Hardcover – January 3, 2017 (Amazon)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (17 November 2018) – Altium outlined Altium 365, which aims to connect the electronics design to the manufacturing floor, which is an industry first + Truth About Finding Fulfilment In Life: Joseph Campbell on following your bliss.

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (17 November 2018) – Altium outlined Altium 365, which aims to connect the electronics design to the manufacturing floor, which is an industry first + Truth About Finding Fulfilment In Life: Joseph Campbell on following your bliss.

Companies

• The problem of US Mercari is “cognition” (Techcrunch); Mercari and UPS offer anonymous shipping in US (Nikkei)
• China probe raises shield for domestic precision tool makers (Nikkei); China probes Fanuc and 9 other foreign factory automation players (Nikkei)
• Altium share price rockets 9% on AGM presentation; Altium also outlined Altium 365, which aims to connect the electronics design to the manufacturing floor, which is an industry first. (MF)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Goldman Says It Was “Wrong” on Nvidia Stock and Boots It From Best Ideas List (Barron’s); Supply glut mars Turing effect for Nvidia shares (Reuters)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Faraday Future: How a “Tesla-killer” became a zombie company (Technode)
• China-based supplier of Apple screens Biel denies it has laid off thousands of workers (SCMP)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Startups: Finland’s ray of light: How the small, risk-conservative nation became a hotbed for startups (BT)
• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the World Economy (WSJ)
• The Story Nobody’s Telling About Our Robot Future: A Q&A with ROBO Global CIO Bill Studebaker (ETFT)
• How Digital Voice Assistants Can Be Used To Revolutionize Your Work Day (Forbes)

Life

• Munger: If you have a passionate interest in knowing why things are happening, you always are trying to figure out the world in terms of why is this happening or why is this not happening, that cast of mind, kept over long periods, gradually improves your ability to cope with reality. And if you don’t have that cast of mind, I think you’re destined, probably, for failure, even if you’ve got a pretty high IQ. (VIW)
• Truth About Finding Fulfilment In Life: Joseph Campbell on following your bliss. (Medium)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (16 November 2018) – Koh Young Technology Reports Record-Breaking Q3 Revenues + Hong Kong’s sudden equity collapse syndrome strikes again

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (16 November 2018) – Koh Young Technology Reports Record-Breaking Q3 Revenues + Hong Kong’s sudden equity collapse syndrome strikes again

Companies

• Trend Micro and Moxa Team Up to Create “TXOne Networks” – IT/OT Security Convergence Gaining Pace (CBR)
• Nintendo Bets New Hex-Nut Pokémon Will Boost Switch Sales (Bloomberg)
• Tencent-backed Pinduoduo accused of inflating revenues; Short-seller that brought down Samsonite chief goes after China ecommerce group Chinese ecommerce group (FT); Chinese phenom Pinduoduo has some explaining to do (Reuters, SCMP)
• iQiYi gets exclusive rights to viral carpool karaoke show (Technode)
• Koh Young Technology Reports Record-Breaking Q3 Revenues (iconnect)
• Innodisk spurring AIoT with key integrated technology to develop competitive edge (Diigtimes); Innodisk Seizing the Edge with Industry’s Fastest Wide Temp DDR4 Memory (PR Newswire)
• Investments In AI, Revenue Growth May Stem Fall In Margin, Says Info Edge (Bloomberg)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Robotic bartenders and smart hotels: Alibaba’s vision of future consumption (SCMP)
• AlipayHK wins bid to provide QR code payment solution for Hong Kong’s MTR (SCMP)
• SoftBank’s Vision Fund buys into US unicorn Automation Anywhere (Nikkei)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Facebook Morale, Hurt by Share Drop, Suffers Another Hit (Bloomberg)
• Walmart’s Roar Is Getting Loud Enough to Rattle Amazon; Another strong quarter confirms that the big-box retailer is well-positioned to take on Amazon, or anyone else. (Bloomberg)
• ‘Crypto hangover’ hammers Nvidia’s outlook, shares drop 17 percent (Reuters)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Victor Li Wants New China Tech to Transform Father’s Old Empire (Bloomberg)
• Face off: Realistic masks made in Japan find demand from tech, car companies (Reuters)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Voice tech like Alexa and Siri hasn’t found its true calling yet: Inside the voice assistant ‘revolution’; Until we invent something that wouldn’t be possible without voice, we’re just repurposing online content for our ears. (Recode)
• Playing catch-up, Germany throws money at AI (Reuters)
• Berkshire invests in JPMorgan, Oracle as Buffett puts cash to work (Reuters)
• Crossed lines in the boardroom: The inside tale of how Nokia lost a market it dominated (Economist)
• Silicon eyed as way to boost electric car battery potential (Reuters); A slew of electric truck plans may deliver the goods for China’s EV ambitions (Reuters)
• Unicorns Backing Their Own VCs? Welcome to Peak Tech; Big checks have empowered startups to put off their IPOs. But now they’re buying growth. (Bloomberg)
• Nobody Knows What Palantir Is Worth (Bloomberg)
• Dutch Mapmaker TomTom Is Keeping ‘Open Mind’ on Deals, CEO Says (Bloomberg)

Life

• Hong Kong’s sudden equity collapse syndrome strikes again (FT)
• Jeff Bezos to employees: ‘One day, Amazon will fail’ but our job is to delay it as long as possible (CNBC)
• Don’t Make These 5 Investing Mistakes That General Electric Investors Made (BVI)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (15 November 2018) – Language and search data provider Appen has upgraded its full-year guidance, as demand from the tech giants for information to power their artificial intelligence algorithms continues to boom

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (15 November 2018) – Language and search data provider Appen has upgraded its full-year guidance, as demand from the tech giants for information to power their artificial intelligence algorithms continues to boom

Companies

• Quartz plans paid-for business coverage and new app; New services are digital publisher’s first moves since it was bought by Uzabase (FT)
• Fixstars Announces The Release of Expansion Microscopy Studio Including The World’s Fastest Deconvolution Software (PR Newswire)
• Koei wins China lawsuit over pirated ‘Three Kingdoms’ games; Operator of website 3DM forced to end distribution and pay $230,000 (Nikkei)
• Appen upgrades guidance as demand for data grows, shares jump (AFR)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Now’s Not the Time to Celebrate Tencent Earnings; Games remain a problem, while one-time items and new businesses propped up numbers for the Chinese internet company. (Bloomberg); Tencent Longs for The Good Old Days for Games; Beijing will need to show more leniency on approving new videogames if the Chinese tech giant’s shares are to recover (WSJ); Tencent: funny games; Plans to reduce a dependence on gaming make sense (FT); Tencent’s WeChat Giant Is Still Quick on Its Feet; Revenue from its social advertising unit helped prop up sales, helping ease concern about a weaker games business. (Bloomberg); Tencent’s Big Beat Falls Flat With Analysts Pining for New Games (Bloomberg)
• Tencent in Talks to Join Group Bidding for Amer Sports (Bloomberg)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Google wants its virtual assistant in every room of your house (CNN)
• Google and Facebook Still Rule Search, but Amazon’s Catching Up (Barron’s)
• Amazon to See Soaring Profits From Cloud Computing, Evercore Says (Barron’s)
• A matter of volume – threat from ascendant Chinese phones hangs over Apple (Reuters); Apple’s Longest Sell-Off Since April Has Cost Investors $107 Billion (Bloomberg)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• China’s artificial intelligence ambitions hit hurdles; Investment drops as momentum fades (FT)
• Inside food delivery in China, and its implications for the SEA market; Across China, hundreds of millions of VC dollars are transforming the way people eat. A snapshot. (KRA)
• China’s Tech Giants Are Primed for More Pain; An awful year for the country’s national champions may have been just a warmup. (Bloomberg)
• Tik Tok operator ByteDance passes Uber as No.1 unicorn; Chinese developer behind popular 15-second video app valued at $75bn (Nikkei)
• China Is About to Shake Up the World of Electric Cars (Bloomberg)
• How to Top the Charts in China; Foreign brands and celebrities need to figure out the country’s unique, and insanely obsessive, fan culture. (Bloomberg)
• Behind China’s Startup Surge: Meritocracy and ‘Growth Hacks’; ‘No monopoly is safe’ in China, says Ben Harburg, managing partner at MSA Capital (WSJ)
• Vehicles offering mobile ATMs and other financial services increasingly in demand in Japan after disasters (JT)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Software for Plumbers and Electricians Is a $1.7 Billion Business (Bloomberg)
• Tempted to Expense that Strip Club as a Business Dinner? AI Is Watching; Algorithmic auditors are exposing employee expense fraud. (Bloomberg)
• Uber: a global busyness; Flurry of expansion has come at a cost to revenue growth (FT); Uber Revenue Slows as Quarterly Loss Surges to $1.1 Billion (Bloomberg); Uber Announces Rewards Program for Ride-Hailing, Food Delivery (Bloomberg)
• Digital legal papers give greater access to justice; Secure systems will lower cost barriers and extend the rule of law (FT); Legal tech uses AI to help business to help itself; Start-ups, established law firms and big organisations are racing to transform professional services (FT); Algorithms tame ambiguities in use of legal data; Machines learn to understand meaning in order to assess contracts and extract trends (FT)
• Language matters: the real meaning of Big Data; ‘Etymology can give a startling new perspective on many of the phrases we frequently toss around in business’ (FT)
• Resideo Still Looks Like a Smart Smart-Home Play (Barron’s)
• Citrix Stock Is Surging This Year With a New CEO (Barron’s)
• SAP chief confident investors will eventually laud Qualtrics deal; The $8bn acquisition shows how serious European group is in challenging Salesforce (FT)
• AI Edges to Factory Floor (EE Times)

Life

• How to Weigh Your Options and Decide Wisely: Benjamin Franklin’s Pioneering Pros and Cons Framework (BP)
• 50 Successful Companies With Minimal Funding (Crunchbase)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (14 November 2018) – Defensive Decision Making: What IS Best v. What LOOKS Best

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (14 November 2018) – Defensive Decision Making: What IS Best v. What LOOKS Best

Companies

• Recruit Holdings Q2 revenue bolstered by growth in HR technology (SI)
• Bandhan Bank appoints Trend Micro for cybersecurity solutions (NB)
• Tencent-backed Chinese travel firm Tongcheng-Elong slashes HK IPO size amid weak markets (Reuters)
• Hon Hai’s profit miss reflects growing iPhone-supplier woes amid expected fall in shipments (SCMP)
• Malaysian cybersecurity firm Securemetric raises US$4M through IPO (Yahoo, Star)
• Techbond Group to raise RM39.6m from IPO; Techbond’s core activities are developing and manufacturing industrial adhesives and sealants. (Star)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Ant Financial invests several hundred million RMB in indoor location service provider ShuWei; Instead of having customers looking for services, ShuWei wants services to reach customers. (KRA)
• WeChat promises to clean up content as Beijing tightens crackdown (Technode)
• Tencent seeks to kill silo culture that gave it WeChat as it expands into AI, big data (SCMP)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• The iPhone Slump Is Rumbling Through Tech; Prospect of weak demand reverberates across Apple’s supply chain (WSJ)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• New law brings structure, discipline to the willful world of Chinese e-commerce (Technode)
• Why the future of Chinese e-commerce is in its rural areas (Techcrunch)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Splashing in the WeWork waterfall; More community-adjusted ebitda shenanigans. (FT)
• JPMorgan Invests in Startup Tech That Analyzes Encrypted Data; Zero-knowledge computing lets companies analyze encrypted data without revealing any secret information (WSJ)
• Brands Now Spend Nearly Two Thirds of Digital Advertising on Mobile, IAB Says; Marketers are also increasingly testing ‘hybrid’ pricing combining ad performance and exposure (WSJ)
• Future of Tech: Smarter Cameras Will Transform Everyday Life; Cameras will change they way we live, shop and drive, Activate co-founder Michael Wolf says (WSJ)
• Pandora Launches Podcasts as Its Merger with Sirius XM Nears (Barron’s)
• Yahoo Finance is launching subscription service (Axios)
• Growing the future: High-tech farmers are using LED lights in ways that seem to border on science fiction (WP)

Life

• Defensive Decision Making: What IS Best v. What LOOKS Best (Farnam Street)
• Taking Time to Get It Right: My Interview with Award Winning Chef Dan Kluger (Farnam Street)
• Ed Catmull on how he helped foster creative collaboration at Disney and Pixar (FastCo)
• The Man Who Left Warren Buffett in the Dust; Malone’s Liberty Media returned 24% annually from May 2006, when it took its current form, through Nov. 8. Berkshire’s has returned less than half of that-10.8%–over the span, and the S & P 500 has gained 8.5% (Barron’s)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (13 November 2018) – Bankers Can Only Dream of Deals With Reluctant GIS Tech Tycoon Jack Dangermond; The GIS market is almost $3 billion in sales and Esri commands over 40% of market share + The Process of Meaning-Making

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (13 November 2018) – Bankers Can Only Dream of Deals With Reluctant GIS Tech Tycoon Jack Dangermond; The GIS market is almost $3 billion in sales and Esri commands over 40% of market share + The Process of Meaning-Making

Companies

• YY’s David Li left NetEase to build one of China’s first livestreaming startups (TIA)
• Qutoutiao reports 8886.1% increase is net loss increase third quarter (Technode)
• NetEase Cloud Music raises over $600 million (Technode)
• Baozun Sinks 13% as Singles Day Orders Growth Decelerated (Bloomberg)
• Fears of poor iPhone sales hit Apple suppliers in Hong Kong as benchmark sheds 2.1 per cent (SCMP)
• Getac’s Rugged Tablet Helps Digitize Pizza Production (AW)
• Keflavik International Airport expands use of Gentrack’s Veovo Flow Management system (TP)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• New Retail tech is backbone of Singles’ Day for Alibaba (Technode)
• How Singles’ Day has helped Alibaba ascend on an AI-powered cloud in China (SCMP)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Competition to AmazonGo Is Coming From an Unlikely Source (Bloomberg)
• Half of Netflix’s new Asian originals are from India (CNN); Investors Expect Netflix Prices to Rise-but Watch for a Cheaper Offering, Too (Barron’s)
• Apple Has a Plan B as IPhone Demand Peaks; Many Suppliers Don’t (Bloomberg); Apple Suppliers Tumble on New Signs of Weak iPhone Demand (Bloomberg)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Chinese short-video apps want to make us shop (TIA)
• Questions raised over Bitmain profits after IPO filing; Discrepancies in profit figures cited by world’s largest crypto mining hardware maker (FT)
• Trade war and censors blow chill wind through China’s giant tech scene (Reuters)
• Zhongguancun: Beijing’s innovation hub is at the centre of China’s aim to become a tech powerhouse (SCMP)
• ‘Post-90s’ generation dominates consumer spending in Singles’ Day 11.11 shopping festival (SCMP)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Bankers Can Only Dream of Deals With Reluctant GIS Tech Tycoon Jack Dangermond; “The GIS market is almost $3 billion in sales and Esri commands over 40 percent of market share” (Bloomberg)
• SAP and Experience Management; SAP is at the center of 77% of transactions worldwide, thanks in large part to their dominance at point-of-sale (Stratechery); SAP/Qualtrics: generating X; The two are a good match, but the wedding will be expensive (FT); SAP’s Sales Army Still Doesn’t Justify an $8 Billion Deal (Bloomberg)
• The Three-Minute Chat That Wiped Billions Off Stocks; Lumentum outlined how changing winds at a key client, Apple, hurt its outlook. Maybe the company hasn’t learned to play the supplier game. (Bloomberg)
• Airbnb: New tricks for an old unicorn (Forbes)
• Palantir Has a $20 Billion Valuation and a Bigger Problem: It Keeps Losing Money; The Silicon Valley unicorn, which has been run like a scrappy startup, is under pressure to remake the business ahead of a possible IPO (WSJ)
• Spotify Falls Below Listing Price for First Time (Bloomberg)
• Sell-Off Becomes Roughest Since 2011 on Third Leg of Nasdaq Drop (Bloomberg)
• Is Snapchat Going to Die? (PH)

Life

• The Process of Meaning-Making (ZR)
• Fools Rush In: 37 Of The Worst Corporate M&A Flops (CBI)
• How an Intelligence Expert Helps Wall Street Mavens Think Smarter (NYT)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (12 November 2018) – How One Family Built $8 Billion Startup Far From Silicon Valley: SAP is paying $8 billion in cash for Ryan Smith’s Qualtrics

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (12 November 2018) – How One Family Built $8 Billion Startup Far From Silicon Valley: SAP is paying $8 billion in cash for Ryan Smith’s Qualtrics

Companies

• Tencent-backed fashion platform Mogujie files for $200 Million US IPO (Technode)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Alibaba made a smart screen to help blind people shop and it costs next to nothing (Techcrunch)
• China’s Alibaba nets record $30 billion in Singles’ Day sales extravaganza, but growth rate plunges (Japan Times)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Has Microsoft finally found a way of making Word useful again? It seems so. (AFR)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Digital economy and AI key to China’s post-internet future, say country’s tech leaders (SCMP)

 Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• A Two-Minute Guide To Quantum Computing (Forbes)
• How One Family Built $8 Billion Startup Far From Silicon Valley: SAP is paying $8 billion in cash for Ryan Smith’s Qualtrics (Bloomberg)
• Vista Reaches Deal to Buy Software Firm Apptio for $1.94 Billion (WSJ)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (10 November 2018) – J. Jacobs – 10 Strategies to Be Happier Through Gratitude (Tim Ferris #344); Aphorisms on Kindness

Companies

• Trend Micro Reports Third Quarter 2018 Results; Overall growth of 11 percent in enterprise business anchored its success (BW)
• Chinese auto marketplace TuanChe sets terms for $34 million US IPO (Nasdaq)
• MediaTek gaining ground in global ASIC market; MediaTek has greatly benefited from shipments of ASICs for Amazon’s smart speakers, with shipments amounting to millions of units in less than one year. (Digitimes)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Alibaba’s future is cloud computing, CEO Daniel Zhang says (Technode)
• Ant Financial plugs its credit scoring system into Chinese rental economy through acquisitions (KRA)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• ‘Keep Talkin’ Larry’: Amazon Is Close to Tossing Oracle Software; By the end of 2018, Amazon will stop using 88 percent of its Oracle databases, including 97 percent of its mission-critical databases (Bloomberg)
• Behind iPhone Face ID Is a Battle Over Costs; The $3.2 billion acquisition of Finisar by II-VI tries to give more negotiating power to suppliers. (Bloomberg)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• International logistics transaction platform Yun Lian raised USD 10 million Series A2; According to founder, the platform’s revenue this year will exceed 500 million RMB, and the annual container volume is about 300,000. (KRA)
• How food tech major Zomato is making an audacious bid to transform itself into a farm-to-fork company (Forbes); Food tech platforms Swiggy and Zomato are fighting a pitched battle for supremacy, backed by top investors Naspers and Alibaba (Forbes)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Yelp’s Growth Strategy ‘Completely Fell Apart’ (Bloomberg)
• Dropbox Jumps With Subscription Numbers Blowing Past Forecasts (Bloomberg)
• Spotify to Musicians: Let Us Be Your Label (Bloomberg)

Life

• J. Jacobs – 10 Strategies to Be Happier Through Gratitude (#344) (Tim Ferris)
• A Biological Approach to Management: Resilience, rather than efficiency (WSJ)
• Why You Should Stick With ‘Buy and Hold’: Beware of those who claim they have a strategy to capture the upside of market volatility and avoid the downside. (Bloomberg)
• 40 Things I Wish I’d Known About Building A Career in The Arts (Medium)
• Aphorisms on Kindness (TSOL)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (9 November 2018) – Koh Young Technology Celebrates Delivery of 13,000th Inspection System + I Can’t See Berkshire’s Bottom Line: A new accounting rule makes it difficult for investors to make sense of annual reports.

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (9 November 2018) – Koh Young Technology Celebrates Delivery of 13,000th Inspection System + I Can’t See Berkshire’s Bottom Line: A new accounting rule makes it difficult for investors to make sense of annual reports.

Companies

• From unicorn to reality, Mercari searches for the magic; Flea market app turns in $24.6m loss to nervous investors (Nikkei)
• Xinhua News Agency debuts AI anchors in partnership with search engine Sogou (SCMP)
• Ctrip Isn’t the Last Stop for China’s Troubled Train; The writing is on the wall for big-name tech stocks as consumers pull back. (Bloomberg)
• Short Bets Mount on Tencent-Backed China Food Delivery Giant (Bloomberg)
• Lenovo’s Profit Beat Came From Accounting Gains; The PC maker’s balance sheet is the main reason why earnings came in higher than expected. (Bloomberg)
• Online Gamers Snap Back in Hong Kong With More Wild Moves (Bloomberg)
• Korea’s top game firms post disappointing Q3 earnings (Investor); NCSoft hopes to shoot ahead with new mobile games next year (Investor); Nexon invests in Swedish game company (Investor)
• Koh Young Technology Celebrates Delivery of 13,000th Inspection System (iconnect)
• Iress today announced that CMC Markets Institutional, a leading provider of liquidity solutions used by many banks, brokerages, funds and dealing desks across the globe, has adopted its order management system. (FE)
• Delta Electronics showcasing CNC-based smart machine tools at TMTS 2018 (Digitimes)
• Trade war hastens key Apple supplier Pegatron’s shift from China (Nikkei)
• Facebook launches Australian used car listings, partners with Carsales (Age)
• Revenue Group shares rise 4% on partnership deal with Public Bank Bhd (Msia)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Baidu Leads Asian Borrowers in Search for Bond Buyers (WSJ)
• Alibaba Goes International to Hit New Singles’ Day Record (Bloomberg); Ten years of Singles’ Day, China’s ridiculously huge shopping festival (qz)
• Tencent Stops Flogging the Dead Horse of Old Titles; Marketing growth was outpacing revenue following China’s crackdown on games. The latest turn is sensible. (Bloomberg)
• Tencent to Check All Gamers’ IDs by 2019 in Unprecedented Move (Bloomberg)
• Did Samsung’s Bixby just beat out Siri, Alexa and Google? (AFR); Foldable Phones Are a Chance for a Tired Industry; Samsung has announced a potentially disruptive innovation. Now it’s important not to mess it up. (Bloomberg)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Google thinks seriously about a subscription model (AFR)
• Nvidia’s New Graphics Cards Could Be Slow to Take Off (Barron’s)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Over 10 million users make extra income on Kuaishou (Technode)
• Tech Haunts Hong Kong’s Stocks as Earnings Start to Fall Short (Bloomberg)
• China’s Tech Fortunes Tumble As Investors Turn Away From Public Listings (Forbes)
• Douyin’s monthly active user numbers soar higher to 400m (KRA)
• China Steel Website Drops Dual-Class Structure for IPO (Bloomberg)
• China’s drone makers zero in on armed forces; Military expected to absorb any excess capacity in fast-growing industry (FT)
• Billion-dollar tech startups hold promise for China’s economy; Four cities provide greenest pastures for burgeoning number of unicorns (Nikkei)
• Travel activities startup KKday lands investment from Alibaba and Line (Techcrunch)
• Parking parking share “akippa” exceeded 1 million members, started from a sales company with 0 engineers (Techcrunch)
• This Diwali, here’s how Gujarat traders made e-commerce firms suffer; The traders are ordering expensive items and returning them, claiming that by doing so, they are forcing online retail companies to take a hit on packaging and courier (BS)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Andreessen Horowitz leads $154 million investment in corporate travel startup TripActions, at over $1 billion valuation (VB); New Tech Unicorn TripActions Aims to Bring AI to Business Travel (Bloomberg)
• At Disney, It’s a Whole New Messy Kingdom; A streaming service, a megamerger and consumer confusion all come with a price. (Bloomberg); Disney’s Iger Plots Online Future With a Little ‘Star Wars’ Help (Bloomberg)
• AMD Chief Lisa Su Aims to Take Massive Market Share From Intel (Barron’s)
• Square Stock Dives on Disappointing Profitability Guidance (Barron’s)
• ANGI Homeservices Rises as a New CEO Prepares to Step In (Barron’s)
• Yelp Tumbles After Warning That Growth Will Continue to Slow (Bloomberg); Yelp: under review; Flexible contracts add to cost of sales (FT)
• Zillow: realty check; Overhaul of business model was well conceived and poorly executed (FT)
• Germany must close digital technology gap, Merkel ally says (Reuters)
• Israeli cybersecurity firm Coronet partners with Dropbox (Reuters)
• Here Comes ‘Smart Dust,’ the Tiny Computers That Pull Power from the Air; A world covered in sensors that don’t require batteries is near at hand (WSJ)

Life

• The three traits Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella looks for in leaders (qz)
• I Can’t See Berkshire’s Bottom Line: A new accounting rule makes it difficult for investors to make sense of annual reports. (WSJ)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (8 November 2018) – Japanese Game-Maker Bandai Namco’s First-Half Profits Up 29 Percent. ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,’ which it co-developed for Nintendo, is expected to be a huge seller when it is released next month + The psychology of success relies on disappointment

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (8 November 2018) – Japanese Game-Maker Bandai Namco’s First-Half Profits Up 29 Percent. ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,’ which it co-developed for Nintendo, is expected to be a huge seller when it is released next month + The psychology of success relies on disappointment

Companies

• Robot maker Fanuc lives on the ‘edge’ of data processing (Nikkei); Fanuc ‘in top form’ in US as Chinese capital investment slows (Nikkei)
• Japanese Game-Maker Bandai Namco’s First-Half Profits Up 29 Percent. ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,’ which it co-developed for Nintendo, is expected to be a huge seller when it is released next month. (HWR)
• Amazon Go Has a Real Rival in Japan; Signpost up 50-plus percent since cashierless kiosk announced (Bloomberg)
• Yahoo Japan chases Chinese rivals with new video platform; Roster of 200 influencers to produce how-to clips and other bite-sized content (Nikkei)
• Keyence, a Japanese company with a $64bn market capitalisation, specialises in making all sorts of electronic widgets used in the automation of factory assembly lines. It also has a bulging bank balance. Just 5.6 per cent of all free cash flow generated in an 18 year period has been returned to shareholders. The rest is in the piggy bank. (FT)
• Nidec plans to apply electric motor expertise to car industry; The company’s initial offer is an 83kg motor – half the weight of an equivalent engine (FT)
• The stock of Apple supplier Minebea Mitsumi Inc. soared after its proposed acquisition of a Japanese lock maker, in a deal clouded by controversy over aggressive trading ahead of the buyout. (Bloomberg)
• HK-based social media publishing platform PressLogic raises US$10M from Meitu; By analysing popular topics in each interest community, PressLogic’s MediaLens platform suggests specific content that are likely to go viral for the specific interest com (e27)
• Hiwin showcasing smart ball screws at JIMTOF 2018 (Digitimes)
• Koh Young America Highlighting Smart Factory Solutions at SMTA Guadalajara (iconnect)
• Bravura Solutions, a supplier of wealth management and funds administration technology, is expanding its London presence; The past 18 months has seen Bravura announce new clients in all key markets globally, across both the Wealth Management and Fun (IAM)
• Xero increases dominance of cloud accounting with 37 per cent growth (Age)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Tencent executive says it will protect minors who play its games regardless of the impact on revenue (SCMP)
• Pony Ma says Tencent is ‘seriously considering’ VR enabled WeChat (Technode)
• QQ takes leaf from sibling WeChat’s mini-program book (Technode); WeChat reaches 1M mini programs, half the size of Apple’s App Store (Techcrunch)
• Tencent Slashes Game Marketing Budget Amid Freeze (Bloomberg)
• Samsung to mass produce foldable phone in coming months; Device can simultaneously run three apps, company says at developers conference (Nikkei)
• How Singles’ Day Became Biggest Shopping Spree Ever (Bloomberg)
• Ant Financial invests tens of millions RMB in IT leasing enterprise RRZuJi (KRA)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Facebook’s Nostalgic Mood Isn’t Helping; Yes, it solved mobile, but that’s not the answer to every challenge. (Bloomberg)
• Google is looking more like Baidu with new Discover feed (TIA)
• Microsoft CEO pitches efficacy of AI, cloud computing; “The sense of purpose (at Microsoft) is to make tools, platforms, capability and mainframes so that you can build your own digital capability, that is our mission.” (Investor)
• How Apple is losing its grip on India (Reuters)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• 3 AI trends that are changing the Asian tech scene (TIA)
• SoCar, Korea’s mobility platform most famous for its car-sharing services, showcased how its app can be used with an autonomous driving technology. (Investor)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Silicon Valley Investor Admits ‘Start-Up Economy’ Is A Ponzi Scheme; They “habitually invest in on another’s companies during later rounds, bidding up rounds to valuations that allow for generous markups on their funds’ performance”. (ZH)
• AMD Stock Is Soaring on a Deal With Amazon Web Services (Barron’s)
• Roku Keeps Growing, but Investors Don’t Like the Profit Outlook (Barron’s)
• Big Tech Sets Up a ‘Kill Zone’ for Industry Upstarts; Today’s star companies hire the best engineers and copy the novel ideas of startups, choking off potential competition. (Bloomberg)
• S. Likely to Accelerate Slowly to Using Autonomous Vehicles (Morningstar)
• Henrik von Scheel on Industry 4.0 and the AI investment opportunity (RG)
• Slack wants to be your ‘virtual chief of staff’; CEO envisions business messaging app as ‘hub for everything’ (Nikkei)

Life

• The psychology of success relies on disappointment (qz)
• When Things Get Wild by Morgan Housel (Morgan Housel)
• You Don’t Need a Goal, You Need a Theme; Happiness is rarely a result of what you accomplish (Medium)
• Why having a Plan B can sometimes backfire (TED)
• If You Can Master These Ancient Laws About Yourself, You’ll Become Unstoppable (Medium)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (7 November 2018) – A marriage of machines, data and humans – the industrial internet explained

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (7 November 2018) – A marriage of machines, data and humans – the industrial internet explained

Companies

• Sony searches for cool factor in Tokyo’s trendy Shibuya district; Company hosts events to give creators a taste of its latest tech (Nikkei)
• Staying focused on unique expertise: Q&A with Rohm Semiconductor president Tadanobu Fujiwara (Digitimes)
• Chinese selfie app Meitu faces up to ‘natural look’ beauty (Technode)
• Kakao Ventures invests W1b in K-beauty platform Limese in India (Investor)
• Infosys Is Boring Again, and That’s a Good Thing: Chairman (Bloomberg)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Chinese companies rush to make own chips as trade war bites; Internet giants Baidu and Alibaba plan AI semiconductors (Nikkei)
• Alibaba’s DingTalk to build voice-driven version for cars (Technode)
• China’s Alibaba to open its first automated hotel; Robot receptionists and AI-powered smart speakers are homegrown technologies (Nikkei)
• Alibaba pledges to bring US$200 billion of goods into China over next five years (SCMP)
• Tencent builds self-driving car team in Silicon Valley (Reuters)
• Spotify facing growth pains in Asia, where Tencent’s Joox is more popular (KRA)
• Why SoftBank’s Huge Real Estate Investments Just Might Make Sense (Barron’s)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Inside Amazon’s Robotic Fulfillment Center (Bloomberg)
• Alexa Can Do Many Things But Won’t Call 911; Many smart speakers can now make phone calls, though not for emergencies (WSJ)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• The price bubble surround China’s third-party payment license has burst as the trading price of the once coveted resource slumped by half over the past few months (Technode)
• Xi enters Shanghai in high-stakes tech IPO race (Reuters)
• China has a new surveillance tool that identifies citizens by how they walk (TNW)
• Startup Nowbusking revolutionizes waiting time; The startup provides a waiting list service to businesses such as restaurants, banks, shopping malls, amusement park or just about any place where people can expect to wait. (Investor)
• Bleeding unicorns: Rising losses at startups; Flipkart, Paytm, Swiggy, Zomato, Hike and Shopclues together posted ₹7,726 crore in losses in the year ended March 2018 (Forbes)
• Ola is taking its hyper discounting model beyond India. But will it work? (qz)
• Singapore looks to digital services to unblock traffic jams; One stop apps will help commuters jump out of cabs and onto scooters (Nikkei)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• A marriage of machines, data and humans – the industrial internet explained (SCMP)
• Cloud-software IPO deserves an equivocal “yes” (Reuters)
• Naspers’ Vision Fund-lite carries less baggage (Reuters)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (6 November 2018) – OT security software offers huge growth potential, says Trend Micro chairman + You are never done being you; If you give something your all, what does it matter what anyone else does? Once you have put forth your best effort, let the chips fall where they may. The outcome is out of your hands now.

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (6 November 2018) – OT security software offers huge growth potential, says Trend Micro chairman + You are never done being you; If you give something your all, what does it matter what anyone else does? Once you have put forth your best effort, let the chips fall where they may. The outcome is out of your hands now. 

Companies

• OT security software offers huge growth potential, says Trend Micro chairman (Digitimes)
• Hiwin Technologies reported strong third-quarter profit, but warned that the US-China trade war would lead to declines in shipments and product prices. (Taipei Times)
• Altium Designer Increasingly Used for High-Speed Design (iconnect)
• Webjet acquires Destinations of the World (TDN)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• A US$64m stake in a Tencent-backed bank WeBank is up for auction on Alibaba’s Taobao page for judicial sales (SCMP)
• It’s Hard to Share Masayoshi Son’s Optimistic Vision of SoftBank (WSJ)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Microsoft brings holo-goggles to Toyota production lines; Mixed reality offers automaker a new tool for ‘kaizen’ (Nikkei)
• Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord. It’s cashing in on loyalty, but Apple can’t keep raising iPhone prices forever. So far, its services aren’t insanely great. (Bloomberg)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• China’s Education Startups Continue To Pull In Massive Funding Rounds (Crunchbase)
• TikTok video platform vaults ahead of major US social media apps in number of downloads in October (SCMP)
• Taiwan lags behind world’s top 1,000 companies in R&D expenditure study (Taipei Times)
• How Asia can drive the technology revolution in property and construction (SCMP)
• Oyo: There’s room at the top; Oyo is among China’s top 10 hotel chains by room numbers (Forbes)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Why Doctors Hate Their Computers; Digitization promises to make medical care easier and more efficient; instead, doctors feel trapped behind their screens. (New Yorker)
• Credit Karma Expands Its $4 Billion Credit Empire To Britain With Noddle Takeover (Forbes)
• Spotify: stream me up; A buyback is a strange response for a high-growth company (FT)
• Why is Lam Research a better bet on the memory than Micron Technologies or Applied Materials? (Barron’s)
• How Square Became a $30 Billion Company by Reimagining Payments (PH)

Life

• You are never done being you; If you give something your all, what does it matter what anyone else does? Once you have put forth your best effort, let the chips fall where they may. The outcome is out of your hands now. (AR)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (5 November 2018) – Seth Godin on How to Say “No,” Market Like a Professional, and Win at Life

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (5 November 2018) – Seth Godin on How to Say “No,” Market Like a Professional, and Win at Life

Companies

• Trade war squeezes corporate earnings in Japan and China; Tokyo Electron lowered its full-year outlook, but peers including Advantest and Shin-Etsu Chemical have upgraded their projections. (Nikkei)
• Webjet boss John Guscic labels short sellers a sideshow (AFR)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Vying for Vuitton – China’s e-commerce rivals seek luxury stranglehold (Reuters)
• Tencent to step up investments in industrial internet to support shift from consumers to businesses (SCMP)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Why China’s tech giants are cozying up to the Communist Party (CNN)
• China’s venture capitalists struggle to raise funds; Chinese startups feel the heat as new funding drops 70% (Nikkei)
• China and US set for arms race in AI that will lead to respective spheres of dominance, says expert (SCMP)
• The shy geek behind Hellobike – the latecomer that battled for survival in China’s bike sharing industry (SCMP)
• China to Create Stock Venue in Shanghai for High-Tech Companies (Bloomberg)
• Japan invests in service industry, reshaping its legendary hospitality (Reuters)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Edge vs cloud computing: which is the best investment? (AFR)
• Short-sellers take aim at Apple tech supplier IQE (FT)
• Newly Public Tech Firms Race Back to Market as IPO Frenzy Continues; As their shares outperform, companies are returning to sell more stock at a nearly unprecedented clip (WSJ)

Life

• Seth Godin on How to Say “No,” Market Like a Professional, and Win at Life (#343) (Tim Ferris)
• No One is Crazy by Morgan Housel (Morgan Housel)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (3 November 2018) – How You Can Use Pixar’s Creative Process to Supercharge Your Success

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (3 November 2018) – How You Can Use Pixar’s Creative Process to Supercharge Your Success

Companies

• A look at China’s massive music streaming industry and how it differs from Spotify (TIA)
• NetEase rumored to re-structure gaming departments (Technode)
• A snapshot of live streaming platforms in China: From Kuaishou to Bilibili, what are some of the biggest names you should know about China’s burgeoning livestreaming market? (KRA)
• Pentamaster earnings up on higher revenue (Star)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Robin Li emphasizes coming “AI boom” at Baidu World Conference (Technode)
• Alibaba cuts sales forecast on economic uncertainty, trade fears (Reuters, Nikkei, WSJ, SCMP)
• Alibaba’s Ant Financial Services logged its largest quarterly loss in years, showing how costly it is to compete in China’s rapidly evolving Internet-consumer economy. (WSJ)
• 19-year-old QQ is doing its best to stay young (Technode)
• Tencent unrolls multibillion dollar bet on the cloud (Technode)
• Tencent is launching its own version of Snap Spectacles (Techcrunch)
• SoftBank’s Latest Investment Is a $1.1 Billion Bet on Smart Windows; View is the maker of glass used in internet-connected windowpanes for smart buildings (Barron’s)
• Samsung and Huawei locked in mobile industry’s prize fight; Battle of smartphone giants will be fought with foldable technology (Nikkei)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Apple to stop revealing unit sales sparking peak iPhone fears; Shares slide as much as 7% and analysts worry about less transparency on prices (FT)
• Driverless cars reach commercial milestone on long road to future: Waymo’s move to start charging for rides creates fresh questions for investors (FT)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Warburg Pincus walks away from Lianjia funding round over valuation bubble concern (KRA); Winter is coming for China’s private equity as market rout slashes start-up firms’ valuations (SCMP); China overtakes the US in number of new companies worth at least US$1 billion, report says (SCMP)
• ‘World’s first’ foldable smartphone unveiled by Chinese startup; Royole beats Huawei and Samsung in race to commercialize next-gen handset (Nikkei)
• Toyota-backed flying car zooms toward commercial reality (Nikkei)
• Korean education startup SmartStudy, which owns intellectual property rights of hit animated characters including Pinkfong, is preparing to go public in 2020 (Investor) 

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• At Telematics crossroads, TomTom CEO plots next move (Reuters)
• UberEats is using data to create cool, non-existent restaurants (qz)
• Software Companies Could Become Important Partners With the U.S. Defense Department (Barron’s)
• With Red Hat, IBM Makes a Big Cloud Promise. The Reality Is Far More Hazy. (Barron’s); IBM’s $34bn all-cash deal for Red Hat is the largest-ever software acquisition, and represents nearly a third of IBM’s own stock market value. (FT)
• Digital Disruption Snarls Madison Avenue; Once big beneficiaries of the online-ad boom, agency groups now face existential threats (WSJ)
• Cadillac Cancels $1,800-a-Month Car-Subscription Service; GM brand was among the first to launch a Netflix-style alternative to owning a car; exit comes as more car makers dabble with such subscriptions (WSJ)
• Chip companies’ warnings should send shudders down the spine of any tech investor, as this usually presages a deeper downturn (MW)
• Can startups beat AWS and Alibaba to meet the increasing demand for cloud computing? (TIA)

Life

• How You Can Use Pixar’s Creative Process to Supercharge Your Success (Medium)
• Risky business: Startups.co interview with Marc Andreessen, Co-Founder of Andreessen Horowitz (e27)
• It’s All About Business Model Innovation, not New Technology; New technology, no matter how transformative, is not enough to propel a business into the future. (WSJ)
• Revenue Recognition at TSA Inc.: A Roller Coaster Ride; This case chronicles revenue recognition practices at TSA Inc. — which develops and sells software to facilitate electronic payments — over the six years from 1997 to 2002. TSA’s revenue recognition footnotes provide a rich setting in which to illustrate the complexities and judgments involved in revenue recognition. As revenue recognition guidance for the software industry became more detailed, TSA’s revenue recognition practices became more aggressive. Following the demise of Arthur Andersen in 2002, TSA’s incoming auditors re-evaluated its revenue recognition policies and required the company to restate its financial statements for three prior years. (SSRN)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (2 November 2018) – Innodisk Bringing the Next-Generation NAND Flash to the Industrial Embedded Market + 7 Ways to Reprogram a Negative Mindset (

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (2 November 2018) – Innodisk Bringing the Next-Generation NAND Flash to the Industrial Embedded Market + 7 Ways to Reprogram a Negative Mindset 

Companies

• Pinduoduo launches medicine channel, tapping pharmaceutical e-commerce market (Technode)
• Meituan announces first restructuring plan since IPO (KRA)
• Tech Titan 360 Takes $9.2 Billion Rollercoaster Ride in China (Bloomberg)
• Japan’s answer to GPS points way to $44bn in new services; SoftBank and Murata Manufacturing are testing systems to help pinpoint road sections in need of repair in the city of Uji (Nikkei)
• Nintendo second-quarter profit hits eight-year high, powered by Switch sales (Reuters)
• KDDI and Rakuten to pool mobile and e-payment resources (Nikkei)
• Delta Electronics 3Q18 revenues, net profit hit records (Digitimes)
• Hiwin 3Q18 revenues, profit hit records (Digitimes)
• Innodisk Bringing the Next-Generation NAND Flash to the Industrial Embedded Market (PRNW)
• Koh Young America Presenting at i4.0 Connect Forum (iconnect)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• China’s Baidu Sees Hotpot, Backseat Karaoke in Driverless Future (Bloomberg)
• Pony Ma steers Tencent to 20th anniversary with eye on industrial internet (SCMP)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Apple Needs to Lean on Its Supporting Cast as Its Star Fades; Watch, AirPods and other accessories have to pick up more of the burden from the iPhone. (Bloomberg)
• Investors bristle as Apple’s iPhone data goes the way of its headphone jacks (Reuters)
• Apple’s pricey strategy carries risk (Reuters)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Fitbit Stock Soared Today. Does That Mean It’s a Health-Care Company Now? (Barron’s)
• Roku Stock Could Rally on Strong Sales of Its Streaming Video Players (Barron’s)
• Your Smartphone’s Location Data Is Worth Big Money to Wall Street; The phone in your pocket is dishing info on where you spend your time and, likely, money (WSJ)
• Spotify Dances to a Slow Waltz in an Up-Tempo World; The music streaming company is offering no clarity on how it plans to pick up the pace. (Bloomberg)

Life

• 7 Ways to Reprogram a Negative Mindset (Medium)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (1 November 2018) – Daifuku awarded automated warehouse contract for UK’s leading pet food manufacturer + How Knowledge of Difficulties Lends Confidence

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (1 November 2018) – Daifuku awarded automated warehouse contract for UK’s leading pet food manufacturer + How Knowledge of Difficulties Lends Confidence

Companies

• Daifuku awarded automated warehouse contract for UK’s leading pet food manufacturer (SHDL)
• Chat app Line’s games business raises $110M for growth opportunities (Techcrunch)
• iStyle’s “@cosme store” Opening in Large Shopping Mall in Hong Kong near Mainland China (BI)
• Japan’s Gree taps Bilibili to promote virtual stars in China (Nikkei)
• Online fashion retailer Zozo simplifies measurement process; Disappointing Q2 earnings leave investors wary of private brand venture (Nikkei)
• ‘The Story of Yanxi Palace’ drives iQiyi revenue as profits remain elusive (Technode)
• Indonesia’s wifi modem rental entity PT Yeloo Integra Datanet Tbk (Passpod) (KRA)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Baidu Is Building an AI Mousetrap; Investing in this area won’t cure the search giant’s advertising habit, it’ll only make it worse. (Bloomberg)
• Ford, Baidu to start self-driving road tests in China (Reuters)
• Jack Ma writes his final letter to shareholders as Alibaba chairman. Here’s the full text (TIA)
• Tencent sees focus of internet development shifting from consumers to business in next two decades (SCMP); Pony Ma sets out Tencent’s industrial internet ambitions as it looks to China’s future economy (SCMP)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Apple Pay Struggles to Meet Heady Expectations; Not the disruptive force imagined, payment system finally gaining traction where it counts (Bloomberg)
• Netflix Gives Films Exclusive Theatrical Run Ahead of Streaming (Bloomberg)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• After A Torrid Year, Notable Chinese Tech IPOs Stumble (Crunchbase)
• Chinese bike-sharing pioneer Ofo denies filing for bankruptcy (SCMP)
• Startup Bets It Can End Japan’s Love Affair With Cash Payments (Bloomberg)
• Why Indonesian e-commerce company Bukalapak is looking offline to stimulate online growth (SCMP)
• Deliveroo expanding delivery-only kitchens throughout Australia (AFR)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Uber’s Valuation Is Insane (Medium)
• Intel’s iPhone supply deal leaves PC makers facing chip shortage (Nikkei)
• Why Lam Research Stock Could More Than Double (Barron’s)

Life

• How Knowledge of Difficulties Lends Confidence (TSOL)
• Tchaikovsky on Depression and Finding Beauty Amid the Wreckage of the Soul (BP)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (31 October 2018) – Trend Micro and NTT DOCOMO Collaborate to Provide New Solution for 5G Era; Delta Electronics Q3 net profit hits record high

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (31 October 2018) – Trend Micro and NTT DOCOMO Collaborate to Provide New Solution for 5G Era; Delta Electronics Q3 net profit hits record high

Companies

• Trend Micro and NTT DOCOMO Collaborate to Provide New Solution for 5G Era (BW)
• Nintendo’s Switch Struggles to Keep Up With Sony’s Older PS4 (Bloomberg)
• Sony Stock Surge Gives New CEO the Hottest Start in 23 Years (Bloomberg)
• China’s Top Netflix-Style App Deepens its Bets on In-House Shows (Bloomberg)
• Delta Electronics Q3 net profit hits record high (FT)
• Netmarble to buy back shares worth W200b (Investor)
• IRESS advances in online super advice space (SR); Industry fund, IRESS begin automated advice journey (FS)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Baidu Sales Forecast Misses Estimates as China’s Economy Slows (Bloomberg)
• Huge opportunities in current adversity, says Jack Ma in final shareholder letter as Alibaba executive chairman (SCMP)
• Samsung Refuses to Play Chicken With Capex (Bloomberg)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• How Facebook Failed To Build A Better Alexa (Or Siri) (Forbes)
• Fortress Facebook Is Suddenly Vulnerable; One of the best corporate success stories of the last decade now faces a lot that could go wrong. (Bloomberg)
• InvestorPlace highlights Ensemble Capital’s Netflix pricing power analysis (II)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Overthrowing Lazada, Shopee leads e-commerce in Vietnam (KRA)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Big Blue’s takeover of Red Hat could produce an über-cloud; The $34bn deal is yet another sign that open-source software revolutionaries have triumphed (Economist); IBM hopes to stay relevant with Red Hat deal: Ageing behemoth aims to reboot itself and survive in changing tech world (FT)
• Cloud Growth Slowdown Looms, Suggesting Tech Boom Near Peak (Bloomberg)
• How Github, and open source software, helps solve social issues with code (Age)
• Innovations count most for AI startups: Q&A with Xilinx president Victor Peng (Digitimes)

Life

• The Story of Milton Hershey – The Sweetest Place on Earth (IF)
• Podcast #453: Leadership in Turbulent Times (AOM)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (30 October 2018) – Secrets of people who stay happy in the worst circumstances; The Surprising Power of The Long Game

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (30 October 2018) – Secrets of people who stay happy in the worst circumstances; The Surprising Power of The Long Game

Companies

• Sony to pour $5.3bn into image sensor production; Japanese company prepares for ‘internet of things’ era with 30% boost to spending (Nikkei)
• China’s finance ministry calls out Xiaomi over accounting errors (Reuters)
• 3 points on Meituan’s unique position in digital China (TIA)
• ASB Bank taps Bravura to introduce new digital offerings for clients (Verdict)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Alibaba’s Ant Financial Invests Undisclosed Series B+ Round In Chinese Clothes Rental Platform MSParis (CMN)
• Bust Looms Over $60 Billion Splurge by Korean Chip Giants (Bloomberg)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• In two sessions, $200 billion of FANG market cap up in smoke (Reuters)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Family and parenting platform QinBaoBao scored RMB hundreds of millions Series C as demand for quality education rises; The founder believes that building a platform is not enough, the app only needs good products. (KRA)
• Top Chinese Online Brokers Prepare to Face Off in U.S. Market (Bloomberg)
• Wingtech Technology: all you need to know about Chinese firm behind audacious US$3.6 billion takeover of Dutch chip maker Nexperia (SCMP)
• I’ll see you and raise you – maybe not in China as Beijing blocks multiple mobile poker gambling apps (SCMP)
• The digital decorators; A slew of startups offering digitised interior design options has hit the market in the past few years, hoping to bring order, efficiency and predictability to the legacy industry (Forbes)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• These 6 Software Stocks Could Be Takeover Targets After Red Hat Deal (Barron’s)
• Expedia CEO Insists That Online Travel Agencies Aren’t Over (Skift)
• Warren Buffett’s Firm Invests Millions in Fintech; Move is a departure from company’s usual penchant for blue-chip companies in steady businesses (WSJ)
• S. to Restrict Chinese Chip Maker From Doing Business With American Firms; Washington raises the stakes in a battle with Beijing over intellectual property (WSJ)
• Restaurants Shrink as Food Delivery Apps Get More Popular; More patrons want to eat at home, and so food chains are renovating their spaces. (Bloomberg)
• LexisNexis Owner Leads $38 Million Investment in Quid (Bloomberg)
• Walmart’s Jet Helps Blue Apron’s Biggest Problem: Planning Ahead (Bloomberg)

Life

• Secrets of people who stay happy in the worst circumstances; In the face of setbacks, some people seem to fall apart, while others find ways to move forward and continue to get things done. Are there things you can do to be resilient? (FastCo)
• The Surprising Power of The Long Game (Farnam Street)
• Zeno of Citium: Being Stoic (DL)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (29 October 2018) – One of New Zealand’s oldest banks has appointed Bravura Solutions’ Sonata as the core administration platform for 500,000 retail and employer members

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (29 October 2018) – One of New Zealand’s oldest banks has appointed Bravura Solutions’ Sonata as the core administration platform for 500,000 retail and employer members

Companies

• The Cloud-Gaming Battle Is Coming, and Sony Has Its Game Face On (Bloomberg)
• Xiaomi’s ‘internet of things’ arm pushes into Japan; Lumi United finds local partner to sell sensors for offices and shops (Nikkei)
• One of New Zealand’s oldest banks has appointed Bravura Solutions’ Sonata as the core administration platform for 500,000 retail and employer members (FS)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Alibaba-Net-a-Porter Is New Front in China’s Luxury War; Cartier-owner Richemont wants to improve the prospects of its e-commerce business in the world’s largest luxury market (WSJ)
• Alibaba counters Amazon in Southeast Asia with high-tech stores; Local arm Lazada knows Asian consumers better than US rival does, exec says (Nikkei)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• China’s Byton eyes IPO to fund expansion: Automobilwoche (Reuters)
• China’s Tech Investment Mania Ebbs-For Now; Investors newly cautious about Chinese technology firms, despite underlying confidence in sector’s growth potential (WSJ)
• Asian chip share rout provides strong indication of a tough 2019 (Nikkei)
• Grab looks to avoid a price war with ride-hailing rival Go-Jek as it focuses on safe, reliable services (SCMP)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• IBM to acquire software company Red Hat for $34 billion (Reuters); IBM Chases Amazon Into Cloud With $33 Billion Red Hat Purchase (Bloomberg); IBM and Red Hat Are Much Better Together; The two make a more compelling cloud-computing alternative as a combined force than they ever could on their own. (Bloomberg)
• Expedia acquires Pillow and ApartmentJet to conquer the short-term rental market (Techcrunch)
• The Economic Value of Artificial Intelligence (WSJ)
• Dyson Gets Swept Up in Electric-Vehicle Revolution; The company’s investment in cordless technology puts it in a unique position to take advantage of its supply-chain expertise. (Bloomberg)

Life

• Execution is Everything (25iq)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (27 October 2018) – Innodisk Enters Alliance with Subsidiaries and Partners to Bring AIoT into the Spotlight + Anxiety is a sign of creativity. Here’s how artists cope

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (27 October 2018) – Innodisk Enters Alliance with Subsidiaries and Partners to Bring AIoT into the Spotlight + Anxiety is a sign of creativity. Here’s how artists cope

Companies

• Innodisk Enters Alliance with Subsidiaries and Partners to Bring AIoT into the Spotlight (PRNW)
• Synnex cooperates with Ecovacs to promote smart cleaning robots in Taiwan (Digitimes)
• IRESS launches ‘next generation’ customisable client portal (PA)
• Brisbane brain scanner start-up EMvision to list on ASX with new CEO (AFR)
• High product demand lifts ViTrox’s 3Q net profit by 25% (Edge); ViTrox’s near term earnings outlook priced in (Star)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Cartier Meets Tmall in Richemont-Alibaba Online Luxury Tie-Up (Bloomberg, Reuters)
• TSMC enhances backend CoWoS technology (Digitimes)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Apple News’s Radical Approach: Humans Over Machines (NYT)
• Netflix’s Audience Is Multiplying. But So Is Its Debt. (NYT); Netflix’s Firing Culture Works for Netflix; Sure, the fast-growing tech company probably hurt some feelings, but the grown-ups it hires can handle it. (Bloomberg)
• Microsoft overtakes Amazon as second most valuable U.S. company (Reuters, MW)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Shenzhen government takes control of China’s leading chip maker Tsinghua Unigroup (SCMP)
• China’s ByteDance leapfrogs Uber to becomes world’s most valuable startup (Techcrunch, Bloomberg)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Apps Installed On Millions Of Android Phones Tracked User Behavior To Execute A Multimillion-Dollar Ad Fraud Scheme (BFN)
• As Internet Stocks Plunge, ‘Old Tech’ Finds New Friends (Bloomberg)
• Fortnite Creator Epic Games Valued at Nearly $15 Billion (WSJ, Reuters)
• Forget Amazon and Google. Chip Stocks Are the Problem. (Barron’s)

Life

• Anxiety is a sign of creativity. Here’s how artists cope (qz)
• Thinking in Bets, Lessons from Howard Marks, and Few Insights on D-Mart (SN)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (26 October 2018) – Uniqlo parent goes digital as it faces Amazon; Fast Retailing founder looks to the future of fashion

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (26 October 2018) – Uniqlo parent goes digital as it faces Amazon; Fast Retailing founder looks to the future of fashion

Companies

• Uniqlo parent goes digital as it faces Amazon; Fast Retailing founder looks to the future of fashion (Nikkei)
• Popular Japanese video game Monster Strike raked in US$7.2 billion in five years and is the top-grossing mobile app of all time (SCMP)
• Bilibili partners with Tencent on anime and games (Technode)
• Naver to invest W80b in subsidiary Snow (Investor)
• Koh Young America Delivers Record Results in 3Q 2018; The high conversion rate of new customers to Koh Young solutions and the company’s consistent growth reflects the industry’s confidence in the Koh Young True 3D technology and its Smart Factory (iconnect)
• Foxconn slumps as worries build over trade war, iPhone margins (FT)
• Sinbon posts record EPS (Taipei Times)
• ASX-listed Citadel Group has partnered with Crime Stoppers Australia to digitise the way in which crimes can be reported from members of the public to the law enforcement community. (IDM)
• Tech stocks tumble on Bursa Malaysia (Star)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Net-A-Porter turns to Alibaba to sell more $2,500 bags in China (CNN)
• The U.S.-China Trade War Means Alibaba Is Producing Its Own Chips; The e-commerce company will design semiconductors to help support its cloud and AI businesses. (Bloomberg)
• Inside Samsung’s Bid to Challenge Apple With 5G, Folding Phones (Bloomberg); Samsung Electronics: Seoul trader It is too soon to call the end of boom/bust cycles in semis (FT)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Amazon: push marketing: Care is needed in navigating privacy concerns about customer data (FT); Amazon’s ad initiative is a useful add-on item (Reuters)
• Alphabet’s Waymo begins charging passengers for self-driving cars (FT)
• Facebook has a secret plan to clone Tik Tok (TIA)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Aikucun, a Chinese online distribution platform that connects fashion brands and professional online shoppers to help brands reduce their inventories, has secured US$110 million in series B+ round of funding (CMN)
• Hong Kong halts e-wallet auto top-ups after user reports of missing funds (SCMP)
• Grofers vs BigBasket: Tale of two strategies; Going deep versus going wide: Which will trump the other as online grocers BigBasket and Grofers battle to corner market share? (Forbes)
• Uber Eats reveals its plan to conquer the rest of India (TIA)
• OnlinePajak secures $25m funding to improve Indonesia’s tax landscape (TIA)
• India’s Rickshaw Revolution Leaves China in the Dust; There are more e-rickshaws in India than battery-powered passenger cars in China (Bloomberg)
• From supermarkets to super-apps, Southeast Asian tech start-ups are looking to China not Silicon Valley (SCMP)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Uber aims to be ‘Amazon of transportation’: Chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi targets 1bn users and the ‘end of car ownership’ (FT)
• Ben Thompson on Business and Tech (Ep. 52) (Medium)
• 3 metrics that matter when evaluating early-stage SaaS startups (TIA)
• AMD Chief Lisa Su Says the Trade War Is an Opportunity (Barron’s)
• S. tech funds turn to Visa, Paypal as FANGs fade (Reuters)
• Autodesk CIO Says AI Helps Human Worker Productivity; Employees pursue new responsibilities as AI-based assistant tackles customer inquiries (WSJ)
• Hotel-search company Trivago is raising profitability targets and reducing advertising spend in a bid to offset lower revenues from its main customers Booking Holdings and Expedia Group. (WSJ)
• Expedia, which owns travel aggregator websites like Hotels.com, Hotwire.com and CarRentals.com, is starting to see the benefits of buying HomeAway three years ago. (Bloomberg)
• Intel’s Still Dancing as the Chip Party Dies (Bloomberg, Reuters)
• Your next doctor’s appointment might be with an AI; A new wave of chatbots are replacing physicians and providing frontline medical advice-but are they as good as the real thing? (TR)

Life

• When Sales Isn’t Just Selling: Advice for Founders in Early Markets (a16z)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (25 October 2018) – At 34, Akiko Naka Gone From Goldman to Failed Artist to Startup Queen in Wantedly + Escaping the Two Foes of Happiness

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (25 October 2018) – At 34, Akiko Naka Gone From Goldman to Failed Artist to Startup Queen in Wantedly + Escaping the Two Foes of Happiness

Companies

• At 34, Akiko Naka Gone From Goldman to Failed Artist to Startup Queen in Wantedly (Bloomberg)
• China’s Top Selfie Touch-Up App Isn’t Looking So Pretty For Investors; This year, Meitu’s Hong Kong-listed shares have dropped more than 60% since hitting their peak in January, wiping out $4.4 billion in market capitalization. Investors appear to be increasingly disenchanted with Meitu’s future prospects, as the Xiamen-based company struggles to fend off rising competition and rein in mounting losses. (Forbes)
• Chinese Automotive Marketplace TuanChe Files $150M US IPO (CMN)
• Who dares wins: Catch or Kogan.com? (AFR)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsung

• Alibaba Used Shoppers’ Data to Invent a Spicy Snickers Bar; The e-commerce giant is vacuuming up data from people shopping, searching and sharing online and providing it to companies like Mars. (Bloomberg)
• Alibaba vs. Amazon: The Battle Of Disruptive Innovation Beyond Traditional E-Commerce (Forbes)
• China’s Pause on Videogame Approvals Expected to Drag Into Next Year; The halt, in place since March, is said to have cost companies such as Tencent and NetEase roughly $1.4 billion in lost revenue (WSJ)
• Tencent teams up with ParknShop, Yonghui Superstores in latest bid to shake up China’s bricks-and-mortar retail market (SCMP)
• Did Pony Ma just crowdsource Tencent’s future R&D direction? (SCMP)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Megacap FAANG Bloc Collapses as Growth Stocks Lead Sell-Off (Bloomberg)
• The Problem with Facebook and Virtual Reality (Stratechery)
• Facebook Ad Demand May Be Waning, and Analysts Are Worried (Barron’s)
• Microsoft’s Cloud Strategy Pays Off; Even with deceleration, Azure’s growth remains robust as sales rise 76% in the fiscal first quarter (WSJ, Reuters)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Stirring up the hornet’s nest, travel startup Mafengwo accused of copying reviews from rivals; Chinese travel website faces public scrutiny in the lead up to an imminent fundraising. (KRA)
• Fujifilm Holdings will sell a Chinese plant that makes lenses for automotive cameras to smartphone industry supplier O-film Tech as competition squeezes profit margins in a field primed for growth (Nikkei)
• Workers in Japan to be able to receive salaries via smartphones; Digital money options will make it easier to compensate foreign workers (Nikkei)
• Dailyhunt: Betting on vernacular video; By harnessing the power of video on its app and using machine learning to serve personalised content, news aggregator Dailyhunt plans to touch 200 million users in 2020 (Forbes)
• Uber Rival Grab Challenges China’s Tech Giants With Mastercard Deal; The ride-hailing firm is launching a new payment card after ousting Uber from Southeast Asia (WSJ)
• Smartphones emerge as bright spot for Indian manufacturing (Reuters)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• A fascinating interview with SingularityNET CEO Ben Goertzel; What is exponential impatience? And how can we teach robots empathy? (e27)
• Does virtual reality need a dash of magic? ‘We’ve been waiting a long time for VR to enter everyday life’ (FT)
• Investors Are Craving Food Delivery Companies; Runup in valuations is reminiscent of meal-kit bubble, some market watchers say (WSJ)
• Artificial Intelligence Faces Age-Old IT Challenge: Data Standardization; ‘AI starts with data, and if the data is lousy … ‘ (WSJ)
• Chip Stocks Extend Worst Rout in Decade as Slowdown Fears Mount (Bloomberg)
• Algorithms to Boldly Go Where No Scientist Has Gone Before; Researchers tend to cluster and mine the same familiar territory. AI can overcome that tendency and point to new questions. (Bloomberg)
• Lyft Acquires Blue Vision Labs To Elevate Its Moves In Self-Driving (Crunchbase)
• Cloud Stocks Dip, Dragging SaaS Valuations Down (Crunchbase)
• Goldman-Backed Travel Booking Start-Up GoEuro Is Said to Be Valued at Up to $1 Billion (Bloomberg)

Life

• Escaping the Two Foes of Happiness (DL)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (24 October 2018) – As BTS Conquers the World, K-Pop Firms Flop on the Stock Market + The Mental Habits of Effective Leaders: Farnam Street’s Interview with Jennifer Garvey Berger

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (24 October 2018) – As BTS Conquers the World, K-Pop Firms Flop on the Stock Market + The Mental Habits of Effective Leaders: Farnam Street’s Interview with Jennifer Garvey Berger

Companies

• Trend Micro rebrands endpoint security offering (CL)
• Nintendo Switch is headed to school (CNN)
• Chinese orders dry up for Japan’s machine tools; September bookings drop 22% as factories brace for trade war impact (Nikkei)
• Loss-making BabyTree marches on for listing hearing with the Hong Kong bourse (KRA)
• As BTS Conquers the World, K-Pop Firms Flop on the Stock Market (Bloomberg)
• Redbubble buys US competitor TeePublic for $57 million (AFR)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Softbank, Samsunga

• Baidu to debut simultaneous machine translation in latest challenge to Google; Baidu system claims to be first with ‘anticipation capabilities and controllable latency’ The AI model is trained with data including similar sentence structures (SCMP)
• China’s Gaming Green Channel Was Just a Loophole; Most of the damage from halting approvals had been done. The latest development is merely an annoyance. (Bloomberg); China Halts Special Approval Process for New Games (Bloomberg)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Amazon Branded Women’s Apparel Sales Languish, Report Finds (Bloomberg)
• Amazon Pitches Facial Recognition to Monitor Immigrants (Bloomberg)
• Apple plans to launch TV subscription service globally: The Information (Reuters)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Chinese Employee Training Platform Yunxuetang Raises $50M Series C Round From YunFeng Capital (CMN)
• ByteDance ambitions in e-commerce continues with new social commerce app XinCao for younger consumers; Shortly after the release of e-commerce platform Zhi Dian, ByteDance now offers a new social commerce app called Xin Cao (KRA)
• Tech Guru Bets Drones Will be `Gold Rush in the Air’ For Japan (Bloomberg)
• Grab CEO courier stunt is disheartening; When Anthony Tan became a delivery man, he found lots of little problems, but ignored Grab’s fundamental issue (e27)
• Southeast Asian tech hubs race to become the next Silicon Valley (Nikkei)
• Billions of dollars have not helped Indian e-tailers figure out AI and big data (qz)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Uber’s Secret Restaurant Empire; The incredible growth of the food delivery business has led to some unconventional arrangements. (Bloomberg)
• MoviePass Is Getting Ditched by Its Parent Company (Barron’s)
• ‘Alexa, Buy That Stock.’ TD Ameritrade Is Offering Voice-Activated Trading. (Barron’s)
• GM’s driverless car bet faces long road ahead (Reuters)
• Artificial Intelligence Faces Age-Old IT Challenge: Data Standardization; ‘AI starts with data, and if the data is lousy … ‘ (WSJ)
• Mobileye Opens Up Driverless Tech as Tie-Up With Intel Deepens (Bloomberg)
• Payments are just the starting point for Instamojo, but does it have what it takes to evolve into a full stack online commerce enabler? (Forbes)
• The Story of Markets Told Through Semiconductors; What appeared to be a selloff in cyclical stocks prompted by fears over the economy may actually be more benign. (Bloomberg)
• Here’s How Saudi Cash Could Bring on the Global VC Crash; If startups and investors balk at the kingdom’s money, funding could grind to a halt. Just the possibility is powerful enough to end the party. (Bloomberg)
• Web performance software company Cloudflare readies IPO -sources (Reuters)
• Wealthfront to offer automated financial planning tool for free (Reuters)
• This driverless tech start-up aims to replace 15 million truckers in US and China (SCMP)

Life

• The Mental Habits of Effective Leaders: My Interview with Jennifer Garvey Berger [The Knowledge Project Ep. #43] (Farnam Street)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (23 October 2018) – Nidec, Schaeffler Vie for $1 Billion Asia Component Firm + How to Get 1% Better Every Day

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (23 October 2018) – Nidec, Schaeffler Vie for $1 Billion Asia Component Firm + How to Get 1% Better Every Day

Companies

• Nidec, Schaeffler Vie for $1 Billion Asia Component Firm (Bloomberg)
• China’s Spy-Tech Star Hikvision Needs Some Covert Help; Subsidies from Beijing are playing a bigger role in earnings amid a backlash against the surveillance industry. (Bloomberg)
• Tencent-Backed Travel Agency Tongcheng-eLong To Raise $1B In HK IPO (CMN)
• A post-IPO interview with China’s fourth largest internet company: Meituan remains optimistic amidst growing competition. (KRA)
• Loss-making Online property conveyor PEXA readies for $2b float (Age)
• Securemetric to raise RM17m from IPO (Star)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Apple Could Become a Multibillion-Dollar Ad Business. Here’s How (Barron’s)
• As Amazon Grows ‘Go’ Stores, Here’s Who Could Benefit (Barron’s)
• com, Qualcomm to put Alexa assistant in more headphones (Reuters)
• Money for nothing: copyright law, YouTube, and the future of music [Part II] (FT)
• Netflix adds to growing debt pile with $2 billion bond issue (Reuters)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Chinese travel platform Mafengwo denies faking reviews after social media storm (SCMP)
• PandaTV says its not dead and will file for an IPO this year (Technode)’Made in China 2025′: world’s biggest auto market wants to be the most powerful maker of electric cars (SCMP); Shenzhen’s all-electric bus fleet is a world’s first that comes with massive government funding (SCMP)
• China’s Uber for Trucks Is Said Close to Up to $1 Billion Round (Bloomberg)
• E-learning platform 17smile wins more than 10 million RMB in Series A+ by serving teachers not schools; As long as the teacher has a WeChat account, a ‘class’ can be registered and announcement can be made. (KRA)
• The bankruptcy of a major Chinese rented-flat operator backed by Xiaomi founder Lei Jun has highlighted the inherent risk of the previously high-flying sector’s heavy reliance on debt-fuelled growth (SCMP)
• China’s peer-to-peer lending system may effectively vanish in the next year. (Barron’s)
• How Asia can drive the technology revolution in property and construction (SCMP)
• GrabFood regional head Tomaso Rodriguez: Food delivery is the key pillar in path to profitability; Food delivery is the key pillar in Grab’s strategy and path to profitability. (KRA)
• An alternative history of silicon valley disruption (Wired)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• A spikier world for innovative start-ups beckons; The venture-capital game is evolving with deals declining even as their value rises (FT)
• Can Germany survive the ‘iPhone moment’ for cars? The country’s profitable carmakers are being hit quicker than expected by the adoption of electric vehicles and diesel bans (FT)
• PayPal: cash out; Digital payments company’s stock needs a youthful kick (FT)
• The unlikely winner of China’s gaming crackdown? US platform Steam, at least for now (SCMP)
• Why Basecamp still runs three completely different versions of their software (Hacker Noon)
• How Lucidchart grew to 13 million users on land-and-expand strategy (Freshworks)
• Jeff Weiner Explains The Most Important Challenge For Tech In The Next 25 Years (Linkedin)

Life

• How to Get 1% Better Every Day (James Clear)
• Hemingway, a Lost Suitcase, and the Recipe for Stupidity (Farnam Street)

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (22 October 2018) – 21 Lessons From Jeff Bezos’ Annual Letters To Shareholders

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (22 October 2018) – 21 Lessons From Jeff Bezos’ Annual Letters To Shareholders

Companies

• China’s Tesla Wannabe Has a Big Brother Problem; Data security concerns may cloud the outlook for aspiring electric-car maker NIO. (Bloomberg)
• Hong Kong’s Tech Dreams Are Becoming a Nightmare; A rule change was supposed to lure the hottest upstarts. But if IPOs continue to flop, investors and founders will meet elsewhere. (Bloomberg)
• 

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Amazon Wants Alexa to Do More Than Just Play Your Music; Amazon taps developer community to create games, AI enhancements to get users to tap into Alexa’s more than 50,000 skills (WSJ)
• The challenge of making YouTube a better place (Wired)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Mafengwo accused of faking 85% of all user-generated content (Technode)
• Plunging China’s stock prices and the effect on China’s tech economy (KRA)

• Tencent Music’s public offering dilemma; China’s Spotify uncertain public offering amidst market volatility. (KRA)
• 2% rebate eyed on all items paid for by cashless means at small shops after planned 2019 sales tax hike (Japan Times)
• Japanese unicorn promises ‘robots for everyone’ in 5 years; Preferred Networks looks to challenge tech leaders like Google and Apple (Nikkei)
• How Taiwan’s Powerful PC Makers Will Overcome The Intel Chip Shortage (Forbes)
• The problem with e-wallets? There are just too many of them, say fintech experts (TIA)
• Former Grab, Go-Jek employees team up to prove demand for a chatty mobile wallet in Indonesia (KRA)
• Key challenges and opportunities in Malaysia’s e-commerce scene; Only 20 per cent of people in East Malaysia said e-commerce is more convenient and makes their lives easier (e27)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Utah Cloud Unicorn Qualtrics Files To Raise Up To $200M In IPO (Forbes)
• Trupanion Stock Sinks After Report of State Probe (Barron’s)
• MTV Owner’s Streaming Strategy: If You Can’t Beat Them, Feed Them; Viacom is making ‘The Real World’ for Facebook and planning a sequel of ‘To All the Boys’ for Netflix in push to turn its channels into studios (WSJ)
• Uber IPO: A Lot Will Ride on CFO’s Choice of Metrics, Timing; Finance chief Nelson Chai will have to decide whether Uber will go ahead or trail rival Lyft and what performance indicators to share with investors (WSJ)
• Will Tech Leave Detroit in the Dust? As IPO proposals value Uber at an eye-popping $120 billion, auto makers are racing to gain ground in everything from car sharing to driverless technology. At stake: who will control the future of transportation (WSJ)
• PayPal Has Moved on From Its eBay Breakup. But eBay Hasn’t (Barron’s)
• Early-Stage SaaS VC Slip Snaps Recovery As Public Software Stocks Soar (Crunchbase); Bessemer Updates Its Cloud Index (Crunchbase)
• Who Is Losing The Most Money? (Crunchbase)
• Tesla Short Seller Warns of ‘Massive’ Supply-Chain Disruption (Bloomberg)

Life

• 21 Lessons From Jeff Bezos’ Annual Letters To Shareholders (CBI)