Articles[tech] (Page 13)

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The Last Mystery of Antarctica’s ‘Blood Falls’ Has Finally Been Solved

(Science Latest / 2026-02-24 16:31)

The Blood Falls in Antarctica are a phenomenon where crimson, hypersaline brine periodically erupts from the Taylor Glacier. Recent research has confirmed the red color comes from iron-oxidizing nanospheres, while the liquid remains unfrozen due to its extreme salinity.

The final mystery of what drives the eruptions has been solved by data showing the glacier's movement pressurizes the subglacial brine until it forcefully bursts through the ice. This release also temporarily slows the glacier's flow, though the future impact of climate change on the system remains uncertain.

The main topics covered are the scientific explanation of the Blood Falls' color and liquid state, and the new discovery of the glacial pressure mechanism causing the eruptions.

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Xiaomi deepens push into chips and AI as peers race to develop humanoid robotics

(Big Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-25 07:29)

Xiaomi is significantly increasing its investment in core technologies, including self-developed chips, operating systems, and artificial intelligence, as part of a broader push for technological self-reliance. The company's founder, Lei Jun, emphasized that private firms must accelerate the commercialization of innovations, leveraging their market proximity to quickly scale new products.

Xiaomi has already invested over 100 billion yuan in R&D over the past five years and plans to spend 200 billion yuan more in the next five. A key near-term goal is to integrate its in-house chip, operating system, and AI model into a single device this year.

The main topics covered are Xiaomi's strategic focus on core technologies (chips, OS, AI), its substantial R&D investments, and the commercial application of innovations, within the context of China's push for technological self-reliance and the industry race in areas like humanoid robotics.

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This Is the Worst Thing That Could Happen to the International Space Station

(Backchannel Latest / 2026-02-25 11:00)

The article details the severe threat that space debris poses to the International Space Station (ISS). Debris constantly strikes the station, and a puncture could cause depressurization, with the size of the hole determining the crew's limited response time.

While a tracking network and avoidance maneuvers are used to dodge larger debris, and shields protect against very small pieces, there is a dangerous gap in defenses for objects between 1 and 10 cubic centimeters. The risk of a catastrophic depressurization event is statistically low but present.

In a worst-case scenario where a leak cannot be sealed, the crew would be forced to evacuate to their crew vehicles and abandon the ISS. Following an evacuation, the international partners would face the complex decision and process of deorbiting the station.

Main Topics: Space debris threat to the ISS, station defenses and their limitations, emergency procedures for depressurization, and the contingency plan for station abandonment and deorbit.

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China’s MiniMax, Moonshot top AI token use ranking, ending year of US dominance

(Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-25 11:30)

Chinese AI models from MiniMax and Moonshot AI have topped a global token usage ranking, ending a year of market dominance by US developers. The ranking, from platform OpenRouter, shows high demand for Chinese open-source models following new releases.

MiniMax's M2.5 model was the most popular by token usage this month, followed by Moonshot's Kimi K2.5. Together with DeepSeek, these Chinese firms accounted for nearly two-thirds of the token usage among the top five ranked models.

The main topics covered are the shift in AI model usage dominance from the US to China, the performance of specific Chinese AI companies and models, and the metrics used to measure this demand.

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ByteDance valuation said to hit record US$550 billion in proposed equity sale

(Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-25 12:00)

A pending equity sale by US firm General Atlantic values ByteDance at a record $550 billion. This marks a significant increase from a $400 billion valuation in mid-2025.

The proposed sale follows ByteDance's recent deal with the U.S. government to restructure TikTok's operations. General Atlantic is selling part of its stake as some of its investment funds near the end of their life cycle.

The main topics covered are ByteDance's increased valuation, the details of the private equity sale, and the context of ByteDance's recent U.S. operational restructuring.

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Kalshi Suspended a California Politician and a YouTuber for Insider Trading

(Business Latest / 2026-02-25 16:00)

Kalshi, a prediction market platform, has suspended a former California gubernatorial candidate and a popular YouTuber for alleged insider trading violations. The candidate, identified as Kyle Langford, was banned for five years and fined after posting a video appearing to show him trading on his own political race.

A second case involved a YouTube streamer whose account showed statistically anomalous success, leading to a two-year suspension after an investigation found a show editor likely used nonpublic information.

These actions highlight how prediction markets are applying expansive definitions of insider trading, where even betting on events one is directly involved in can trigger penalties. The crackdown occurs amid growing scrutiny and high-profile insider trading incidents across the prediction market industry.

Main Topics: Kalshi enforcement actions, insider trading on prediction markets, specific cases involving a political candidate and a YouTuber, the regulatory landscape for prediction markets.

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OpenClaw Users Are Allegedly Bypassing Anti-Bot Systems

(Business Latest / 2026-02-25 19:00)

Users of the viral AI tool OpenClaw are reportedly employing an open-source tool called Scrapling to bypass anti-bot protections, like those from Cloudflare, to scrape website data. Cloudflare is actively working to block these evolving scraping attempts, having already countered previous versions and noting a significant volume of blocked attempts.

The main topics covered are the use of AI tools for web scraping, the cat-and-mouse game between scraping software and security providers like Cloudflare, and the unauthorized creation and collapse of a cryptocurrency tied to the Scrapling tool.

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Riley Walz, the Jester of Silicon Valley, Is Joining OpenAI

(Business Latest / 2026-02-25 19:59)

Riley Walz, a software engineer known for viral online projects, has been hired by OpenAI. He will join the secretive OAI Labs team to research new human-AI interaction interfaces.

OpenAI is seeking novel product interfaces to enhance user experiences beyond ChatGPT, amid competition and the rise of coding agents. Walz's background involves creating provocative tools that often leverage public data for social commentary.

His projects have previously drawn official backlash and public criticism, highlighting the controversial nature of his work. This includes tools that analyzed parking ticket data and CitiBike trip records.

Main topics: Riley Walz's hiring at OpenAI, the mission of OAI Labs, OpenAI's product interface strategy, and the controversial nature of Walz's past projects.

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Democrats Should Never Again Rise to Trump’s Anti-Trans Bait

(The Intercept / 2026-02-25 20:15)

President Trump used his State of the Union address to call for a nationwide ban on transgender youth socially transitioning in schools, using a tragic individual case to advocate for policies that would force schools to out transgender students to their parents. In response, Republican lawmakers gave a standing ovation while Democrats remained seated, highlighting the stark partisan divide on the issue.

The article criticizes Democratic leaders for failing to robustly oppose a wave of anti-trans legislation and for sometimes adopting rhetoric that frames support for transgender rights as conflicting with economic issues. It argues that such a false dichotomy is harmful and that policies targeting transgender youth make it impossible for them to live safely.

The main topics covered are the political attack on transgender youth, proposed anti-trans legislation, the partisan response, and the criticism of the Democratic Party's failure to adequately defend transgender rights.

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Cuban Border Guards Attacked by Florida Speedboat

(The Intercept / 2026-02-25 22:17)

Cuban border guards engaged in a firefight with a civilian speedboat from Florida that had entered Cuban territorial waters, resulting in four people on the U.S. boat killed and six wounded. The Cuban government states its personnel were fired upon first, while U.S. officials confirm the incident did not involve U.S. military vessels.

The article places the incident within the context of heightened U.S. pressure on Cuba, including economic sanctions and a history of U.S. military and covert actions against the Cuban government. It also details recent U.S. military attacks on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean.

Main topics covered: The maritime incident and conflicting narratives, the current U.S. pressure campaign against Cuba, and the historical context of U.S.-Cuba hostilities.

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Why SJ Semiconductor matters in China’s race to build home-grown AI chips

(Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-26 00:00)

SJ Semiconductor, a key player in advanced chip packaging, has received approval for an IPO on Shanghai's Star Market. This listing underscores China's strategic pivot toward advanced packaging to narrow the semiconductor technology gap and achieve self-reliance.

The move highlights how companies in China's supply chain are responding to surging domestic demand for AI chips. Advanced packaging techniques, like those SJ Semiconductor employs, integrate multiple components to boost performance and efficiency beyond the limits of a single silicon chip.

The main topics covered are SJ Semiconductor's IPO, China's semiconductor self-reliance strategy, the importance of advanced chip packaging, and the demand for home-grown AI chips.

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Nvidia reports record earnings quarter as China’s H200 sales freeze persists

(Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-26 02:00)

Nvidia reported record quarterly revenue driven by surging global demand for its data center processors. However, the company has generated no revenue from its powerful H200 chips in China and faces uncertainty over future sales due to U.S. export controls.

Nvidia's CFO stated that despite some H200 units being cleared for export, no sales to China have been finalized. The company also highlighted increasing competition from domestic Chinese chipmakers who are advancing through IPOs.

The main topics covered are Nvidia's record earnings, the stalled H200 sales in China due to U.S. restrictions, and the growing competitive threat from local Chinese semiconductor firms.

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China’s Huawei joins US giants OpenAI, Google in AI standards alliance

(Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-26 02:31)

Huawei has joined the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF), a group focused on establishing open AI standards, alongside major U.S. tech firms like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft.

This represents a notable instance of cooperation between a U.S.-sanctioned Chinese company and its American counterparts in the global AI governance arena.

The alliance, hosted by the Linux Foundation, aims to shape the future of accessible AI through open-source collaboration.

The main topics covered are a U.S.-China tech collaboration, AI standards setting, and the expansion of a specific industry alliance.

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Hong Kong stocks retreat as Nvidia earnings fail to sustain AI momentum

(Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-26 02:32)

Hong Kong stocks declined, led by technology shares, after Nvidia's quarterly earnings disappointed investors with high expectations for perpetual AI-driven growth. The Hang Seng Index fell 1.4%, while the Hang Seng Tech Index slumped 2.9%, with major tech companies like Alibaba and Tencent seeing significant losses.

Although Nvidia's revenue beat average estimates, it fell short of the most bullish projections, causing its shares to drop and failing to sustain the artificial intelligence investment momentum. Analysts note the market had been pricing in indefinite, exponential growth for companies central to the AI boom.

The main topics covered are the decline in Hong Kong and tech stocks, Nvidia's earnings report and its market impact, and the shifting investor expectations surrounding AI-related growth.

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China computing stalwarts Hygon, Sugon post revenue surge on AI boom, tech self-reliance

(Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-26 09:05)

Chinese tech firms Hygon and Sugon reported significant revenue growth in 2025, driven by the AI boom and a national push for technological self-reliance. Hygon's sales surged due to rising demand for domestic high-end chips, with even faster growth projected this quarter from AI industry investments. Sugon, Hygon's largest shareholder, also posted increased revenue and profit from its high-performance computing systems.

The main topics covered are the financial performance of Hygon and Sugon, the drivers of growth (AI demand and domestic tech substitution), and the broader context of China's tech self-reliance initiative.

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