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Important news

1. Apple will take ruthless action against ByteDance and Tencent: If the payment loophole is not plugged, WeChat and TikTok will not be updated and listed

2. The menu of the poisoned employee of ByteDance in Singapore was exposed, suspected to be from two suppliers, Yunhai Cuisine and Putian in Singapore, and the restaurant involved has suspended business

3. Xiaohongshu’s 11th anniversary letter admits big company problems: officials are arrogant, decision-making is slow, and a fresh start is needed

4. Li Guoqing recalls Dangdang's battle with Amazon: They were determined to win, but withdrew from China in disgrace

5. Dong Mingzhu: Gree has developed a beauty instrument. You can find yourself beautiful in just one week. To become an excellent internet celebrity

6. Apple's Thailand ad "failed" and was criticized. Local people said: The stereotype is too serious. The Thai Prime Minister responded: This ad can be used as an opportunity to promote Thailand

7. Design copied from Apple? Lee Jae-yong expressed dissatisfaction with Samsung copying Apple

8. Malaysian wallet suspended? WeChat Pay responded: All services will be officially stopped from September 1

Today's headlines

Apple will take ruthless action against ByteDance and Tencent: If the payment loophole is not plugged, WeChat and TikTok will not be updated and listed

On August 2, foreign media reported that Apple is increasing pressure on Tencent and ByteDance, requiring the two most popular Chinese applications to make fundamental changes. People familiar with the matter said that Apple has asked Tencent and ByteDance to "plug loopholes" in recent months because creators on WeChat and Douyin platforms use these "loopholes" to import users into external payment systems, thereby circumventing the 30% commission that Apple usually charges.

In May, Apple warned Tencent that it might reject important WeChat updates if it did not eliminate the use of non-Apple platform payment links by small game developers. A few months later, Apple demanded that the key feature "in-game messaging" be banned to avoid losing users. One of the people familiar with the matter also said that Apple has taken a similar approach against ByteDance. In June, Apple also allegedly told ByteDance that it would not accept new version updates for Douyin unless ByteDance could also block similar payment loopholes.

Tencent did not agree to the request because it believed the proposed changes would weaken the product and affect the quality of service players receive, two people familiar with the matter said. The company has told game developers that their business models "may be disrupted." Douyin is also facing pressure from Apple. According to people familiar with the matter, in June, Douyin launched a plan to allow Apple to charge commissions on in-app purchases. If it is not in compliance, Douyin will not be able to update the 618 e-commerce activities. An Apple spokesperson cited its guidelines, claiming that all sales of digital goods must go through Apple's system, otherwise the review team may refuse to list apps that violate this policy. (Zhongguancun Online, Financial Times) (Welcome to add Xiaolei Ge's WeChat leiphonesz to learn about industry information faster and chat with more friends)

Domestic Information

The menu of the poisoned Bytedance employee in Singapore was exposed, suspected to be from two suppliers, Yunhai Cuisine and Putian in Singapore, and the restaurant involved has suspended business

According to Singapore media reports, on July 30, Bytedance's Singapore office was suspected of having a collective food poisoning incident. Many employees felt unwell after eating a Chinese buffet lunch in the cafeteria. At least 130 people had gastrointestinal discomfort. Some employees vomited in the office, "even vomited to the point of collapsing on the ground and unable to get up." According to photos provided by Xiaoxing, an employee of the company, there were two choices of dishes for lunch on the 30th. "The supplier's menu changes every day, but the dishes in the three lines are the same, and you pick up your own food."

According to reports, the problematic food is suspected to come from two suppliers, Yunhai Food and Putian in Singapore. According to people familiar with the matter, the employees who felt unwell mainly ate spoiled chicken from the Chinese buffet, and the meat supplier on that day was Yunhai Food in Singapore. As of press time, the reporter has called Yunhai Food and Putian's parent company Fang Shushi Catering Management Co., Ltd. many times, but has not yet contacted the other party for a response. It is understood that Yunhai Food's Northpoint City branch and Putian Central Kitchen will suspend operations from now until further notice. (21st Century Business Herald, Read News)

Xiaohongshu's 11th anniversary letter admits big company problems: officials are too arrogant, decision-making is slow, and a fresh start is needed

On August 2, when Xiaohongshu celebrated its 11th anniversary, the company's founders Mao Wenchao and Qu Fang admitted in their 11th anniversary letter that with the rapid development of the company, Xiaohongshu has also developed the so-called "big company disease." The letter mentioned that during the two organizational surveys of Xiaohongshu people last year, they saw some bad cases from the daily feedback of the students that deviated from the original intention of entrepreneurship and increased organizational consumption.

"For example, some students are very arrogant and never step into the field. When encountering difficulties, they only push frontline students to do things and solve them; some leaders spend their time every day analyzing the intentions of the upper level word by word, and turn a blind eye to important issues that have affected the user experience." "Some responsible persons do not understand the business scenarios, procrastinate in making decisions, and repeatedly ask frontline students to submit solutions, and do not make decisions even after five versions are submitted."

The founders also said in the letter: "These phenomena make me deeply feel the pain of the first-line Xiaohongshu colleagues. They often have no energy to use, and see opportunities slip away. They also feel the bloatedness and entropy increase brought about by the complexity of the business and the growth of the organization." In order to deal with these problems, Mao Wenchao and Qu Fang said in the letter that in the 11th year of Xiaohongshu, they need to start again and maintain the status of an agile and focused entrepreneurial team. (Fast Technology)

Li Guoqing recalls Dangdang's battle with Amazon: They were determined to win, but withdrew from China in disgrace

On August 2, in a recent interview, Dangdang.com founder Li Guoqing recalled the battle with Amazon. Li Guoqing said that Amazon originally wanted to bid $1 billion to acquire Dangdang, and Dangdang's sales in 2003 and 2004 were 150 million, so they felt that they were determined to win. Moreover, Amazon won wherever it went. It took only one year to cripple the British book e-commerce, and later it went to Germany, France, Japan, and South Korea without exception.

However, Dangdang refused the acquisition, and Amazon threatened to start a price war if they didn’t sell. “At that time, the price war was unprecedentedly fierce. Amazon used crawler technology to select 100,000 books from Dangdang every night, and then set the price of each book to be 1 yuan, 10 cents or 10% lower than Dangdang,” said Li Guoqing. After a month of price comparison and adjustment, the price dropped from 25% to 35% and even 50% off. When Li Guoqing disclosed this situation, domestic private bookstores were the first to be shocked, and publishing houses were also in an uproar.

Li Guoqing also revealed: "At the same time, I actively went to the China Publishing Association, China Book and Periodical Distribution Association and other relevant departments, using the Anti-Unfair Competition Law to require publishers to stop stocking websites that engaged in unfair competition." "In the end, Amazon Books lost 1 billion US dollars in China and withdrew from the Chinese market in disgrace." (Fast Technology)

A scene of a tram covered with black cloth reappeared after a Chengdu tram caught fire. Witnesses: The fire in the Seres ignited the NIO

On August 1, in Chengdu, Sichuan, many netizens posted videos claiming that two electric cars caught fire in front of a company in Longquanyi District. The video showed that after the firefighters put out the fire, it was suspected that some staff at the scene covered the white electric car with a black cloth. From the pictures circulated online, it can be seen that the white electric car is a Seres SF5, and the car next to it is a NIO.

Mr. Bo, an eyewitness, said that the accident happened at the entrance of a unit, where a Seres (white electric car) was parked and caught fire, which then ignited the car next to it. On August 2, Seres’ official customer service was consulted about this matter, and the customer service said that there was no feedback on the incident for the time being. The black cloth covering the scene may be a process of rescue. Because it involves user privacy, it is not convenient to feedback if there is any result, but major events will be announced. (Phoenix Network Technology)

360's controlling shareholder dissolved and liquidated, Zhou Hongyi became the largest shareholder with a 13.26% stake. Latest response: Will continue with the company

On the evening of August 2, 360 announced that the company's controlling shareholder Qixinzhicheng Technology Co., Ltd. was dissolved and liquidated, and its 46.14% of 360 shares will be distributed to shareholders through non-trading transfer. After the equity change, Zhou Hongyi's direct shareholding ratio increased from 5.24% to 13.26%, becoming the company's largest shareholder. During the dissolution and liquidation of Qixinzhicheng, Zhou Hongyi promised not to reduce his holdings in 360 shares within 12 months.

According to the announcement, this liquidation is not bankruptcy liquidation, and is not caused by Qixinzhicheng's operating difficulties or insolvency. The dissolution terms agreed upon by shareholders at the beginning of Qixinzhicheng's establishment have been reached, so some shareholders proposed liquidation. In 2016, 360 Company responded to the country's call to delist from the US stock market and return to China in order to devote itself to the construction of national network security. 36 investors invested and loaned 20 billion yuan to help it delist, and established Qixinzhicheng as a "shareholding platform" to jointly bear the responsibility of loan repayment. The above 20 billion loan has been fully repaid in June 2023. After liquidation, 360 Company will return to a simpler governance structure.

In response, Zhou Hongyi said, "As the founder and chairman, he has not sold a single share of Qihoo 360 since its listing. He will continue to work with the company to make Qihoo 360 a success. He will never look back on the road of serving the country and will unswervingly stand at the forefront of maintaining national network security." (Securities Times)

After Tinghua Liquor was exposed, its aggressive advertising was questioned and all the products were removed from shelves in a residential area in Wuhan

Since July 27, many Wuhan residents have reported that Tinghua Liquor, which was exposed by CCTV's 3.15 Gala as a false advertisement, has reappeared in the elevator advertising column of their residential complex, causing owners to question the authenticity and legality of its advertisement. One owner said: "These are products exposed by CCTV's 3.15 Gala, how come the advertisement is hung in our community again? This is not appropriate, isn't it?"

Under pressure from public opinion, the Wuhan Poly Huadu Property Owners Committee fed back residents' opinions to the product's elevator advertising agency and removed all of its advertisements from shelves on July 30. A Tinghua Liquor business manager surnamed Li revealed that Tinghua Liquor is currently carrying out a one-week nationwide elevator advertising campaign, which has covered high-end buildings in 32 core cities across the country, and said that it will use more than 150,000 elevator posters for high-density exposure. (Changjiang Cloud News)

Xiao Yangge's training organization has started recruiting people, and the tuition fees may exceed 600,000

On August 1, an investigation revealed that the training business "Three People's Live Classroom" under Three Sheep will soon start offline classes, with the fees for advanced classes and beginner courses being 9,980 yuan and 3,980 yuan per person respectively. "The advanced course will recruit about 50 people for two days and two nights, starting on August 2. The beginner course will recruit about 30 people for three days and two nights, starting on August 24." said a business person. The current training location is at the Three Sheep headquarters in Hefei, Anhui, and the tuition does not include food, accommodation and transportation expenses.

If we roughly estimate based on the above information, if both the advanced and novice courses are fully enrolled, Three Sheep will earn more than 600,000 yuan in training fees alone. From the perspective of course settings, the advanced courses are mainly centered around Douyin hits, anchor speech practice, and live broadcast operation management. There are three lecturers, including Three Sheep Group CEO Du Gang, to teach. The novice course focuses more on the dimension of live broadcast skills training for novice anchors.

Not only Three Sheep, but also top live streaming organizations such as Jiaogepengyou and Qianxun have made a lot of money by selling live streaming experience in recent years. Sometimes, it may be easier for organizations to sell training courses than to make money by selling goods. "Selling courses is much more profitable than selling goods, and live streaming organizations also hope to fully tap the monetization potential of top IPs." E-commerce research expert Jiang Rong said. (Beijing Business Daily)

New Oriental denies dismissal of Dong Yuhui, saying it was the result of friendly consultations and consensus reached between the two parties

On August 2, New Oriental issued a statement saying that at New Oriental Group's fourth quarter earnings conference for fiscal year 2024, an analyst used the term one-time compensation when asking about the relevant costs and expenses paid by the company to Mr. Dong Yuhui. This expression was misunderstood by some people as a one-time severance pay given to Mr. Dong Yuhui by New Oriental Group in order to dismiss him. The separation of Yuhui Xingxing from Oriental Selection was the result of friendly consultations and consensus reached between the two parties, and there was no such thing as dismissal. The company arranged to pay Mr. Dong Yuhui all the profits of "Xingxing with Yuhui" since its establishment, as well as all the funds related to the equity transfer of "Xingxing with Yuhui", which is a support for the continued development of Mr. Dong Yuhui and "Xingxing with Yuhui" in the future, rather than severance pay. (Jiemian News)

Dong Mingzhu: Gree has developed a beauty instrument. You can find yourself beautiful in just one week. To become an excellent internet celebrity

On August 2, Gree's refrigerator and washing machine home appliance strategy conference was held in Shijiazhuang, Hebei. Gree Chairman and President Dong Mingzhu, Gree Electric's digital channel reform project leader Wang Ziru and other executives attended the conference. Dong Mingzhu revealed at the conference that Gree Electric has developed a beauty instrument, "Use it for a week and you will find yourself beautiful", and encouraged Gree Hebei dealers on site to place orders. In addition to air conditioners, Gree Electric is actively developing refrigerators, washing machines and home appliances.

Dong Mingzhu said: "People often say on the Internet that Dong Mingzhu is an Internet celebrity entrepreneur. Later, I felt proud to be an Internet celebrity entrepreneur. Why? You can also be an Internet celebrity entrepreneur, so why did Dong Mingzhu become an Internet celebrity entrepreneur? It is because of the support of our Gree products. If consumers don't like Gree's products, can you become an Internet celebrity? No. Others will even hate you and scold you for what you have brought to us? It has brought harm. So if I want to be an excellent Internet celebrity, I have to make the product to the extreme. And I can become an Internet celebrity thanks to the 17,000 technical R&D personnel behind Gree. It is they who have brought me people's respect for me." (IT Home)

Give up the four circles! It is revealed that the Audi and SAIC jointly developed models will use a new logo, and the first concept car will be unveiled in November

On August 2, according to foreign media reports, two sources who "directly know the plan" said that Audi's new electric car series developed for China will not use its iconic "four rings" logo. People familiar with the matter said that Audi made this decision out of "brand image" considerations, and it also reflects that Audi will use the car architecture developed with its Chinese partner SAIC Group and will rely more on local suppliers and technology. The internal code name of this new electric car series is "Purple". The report pointed out that it is not yet known whether this series will use different logos or only use "Audi" for the car name. The two people familiar with the matter said that the first concept car of the series will be unveiled in November, when Audi will also explain the "brand story" of the series. One of the people familiar with the matter said that (the brand) plans to launch 9 models by 2030.

In response, Audi said it refused to comment on the so-called "speculation". SAIC responded that these electric vehicles will be "real" Audis with "pure" Audi genes. People familiar with the matter also revealed that Audi's new electric vehicle series will use CATL batteries and advanced driver assistance systems from Chinese technology startup Momenta. At the same time, the series will also use Zhiji Auto's electrical architecture. (IT Home)

Li Guoqing gave Dong Yuhui a tip: Don’t look for investors, Luo Yonghao has dug a hole for himself

On August 2, Dangdang.com founder Li Guoqing released another video to talk about the three challenges that Dong Yuhui will face next: finding partners, exploring business models, and investors. Li Guoqing said that it is difficult to find partners, and you must know how to share profits and power with partners. He believes that Dong Yuhui may have to change three partners within a year and continue to make mistakes.

In addition, Li Guoqing believes that the second challenge Dong Yuhui faces is the exploration of business models. He believes that live streaming is about making quick money. In the longer term, first-tier anchors are short-lived, and even live streaming is short-lived.

The last challenge is the issue of investors. He suggested that Dong Yuhui should not look for investors, "the more you look, the more confused you will be." "Luo Yonghao is generous but has no money. He also set up an investment bureau. Don't listen to him. He has dug a hole for himself." Investors should not only share profits, but also power. Dong Yuhui is already a well-known star and does not need investors. (Sanyan Technology)

Tesla Insurance Brokerage Company was established, Zhu Xiaotong was appointed as chairman

According to the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, Tesla Insurance Brokers (China) Co., Ltd. was established on July 30, 2024, with Zhu Xiaotong as chairman. Public information shows that Tesla Insurance Brokers (China) Co., Ltd. has a registered capital of 50 million yuan and its business scope is insurance brokerage business. Shareholder information shows that the company is wholly owned by Tesla Insurance Services Co., Ltd.

According to media reports, in July this year, the State Administration for Market Regulation published a corporate name registration announcement showing that Tesla Insurance Brokers (China) Co., Ltd. appeared on the list, which means that Tesla will apply to register an insurance brokerage company in China again. It is reported that Tesla established Tesla Insurance Brokers Co., Ltd. in August 2020, but its insurance brokerage business has not yet been approved. In April this year, the company was deregistered. It is worth mentioning that in April this year, Tesla received a data security "green card" and became the first foreign-funded automaker to pass relevant national standards. (IT Home)

Anbang Insurance Group and Anbang Property & Casualty Insurance entered bankruptcy proceedings

On August 2, the State Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau disclosed two replies, which showed that it agreed in principle to allow Anbang Insurance Group Co., Ltd. and Anbang Property Insurance Co., Ltd. to enter bankruptcy procedures. Anbang Insurance Group and Anbang Property Insurance should carry out follow-up work in strict accordance with relevant laws and regulations. In case of major situations, they should report to the Financial Supervision Bureau in a timely manner. (Daily Economic News)

International News

Musk's screenshot of his bank card balance went viral, the ID that posted it was different from his own, and the authenticity was questionable

Recently, some netizens posted a screenshot of a post by Musk on a social platform. From the content, it seems that the rich man is showing off his bank card balance (a total of 17 digits, or 1.7685 trillion US dollars). This also attracted many netizens to watch, but if you look closely, this should not be Musk's X account (the ID displayed is different from Musk's actual ID).

Some netizens said that with such a figure, even if Musk lies down now and simply earns interest, he can still live a fairy life. Other netizens said that it doesn’t matter whether it is Musk himself or not, what matters is that he is very rich. As one of the richest people in the world, money is just a number to Musk. At the beginning of this year, Elon Musk had a fortune of 251 billion US dollars, which can almost solve the world hunger problem alone. However, with the fluctuations in Tesla’s stock price, Musk is the billionaire who has lost the most so far this year, and his wealth has shrunk at a rate of about 5 billion US dollars per month. From the end of 2023 to June 28, 2024, his wealth has shrunk by more than 10%. (Fast Technology)

Apple's Thailand ad "failed" and was criticized. Local people said: The stereotype is too serious. The Thai Prime Minister responded: This ad can be used as an opportunity to promote Thailand

Recently, an Apple ad filmed in Thailand has caused dissatisfaction among Thai netizens due to its visual effects. Some netizens believe that the short film shows an "outdated Thailand that does not conform to the facts" and the depiction of Thailand is "stereotyped." According to reports, the short film was posted on Apple's social platform YouTube account on July 18. Soon after its release, it caused controversy due to its depiction of Thailand. Netizens criticized the use of a sepia filter in the ad, making Thailand appear "underdeveloped." Others criticized the ad's descriptions of airports, transportation, clothing, and accommodation as outdated.

Although many netizens said that it "makes Thailand look bad" and "I don't know what (this video) wants to express", etc., according to the Bangkok Post, Thai Prime Minister Setha believes that this advertisement can be used as an opportunity to promote Thailand's tourism and "soft power" on the global stage through culture, food and tourist attractions.

According to the latest news, Apple apologized: "We apologize for the failure of the ad to fully and appropriately showcase the Thai lifestyle." Apple said it worked with a local Thai company to produce the ad, with the goal of revealing Thai culture and perspectives in a positive way. The ad has now been removed. It is reported that the ad had been viewed on YouTube for over five million times before it was removed. (Global Times)

Intel plunged more than 28%, the biggest drop in more than 40 years

On August 2, Intel's stock price plummeted by more than 28%, the largest drop since 1982. As of press time, Intel's decline was 28.71%, at $20.71, with a market value of $88.556 billion. On the same day, Intel announced its second quarter financial report for fiscal year 2024: revenue was $12.8 billion, down 1% year-on-year; attributable net loss was $1.6 billion, while attributable net profit in the same period last year was $1.5 billion, turning from profit to loss year-on-year; adjusted attributable net profit not in accordance with US GAAP was $100 million, while adjusted attributable net profit not in accordance with US GAAP in the same period last year was $500 million, a sharp year-on-year decrease of 85%.

Intel's second-quarter adjusted earnings per share and revenue both failed to meet Wall Street analysts' expectations. The company's outlook for third-quarter adjusted earnings per share and revenue was also far below expectations. At the same time, Intel also announced that as part of a $10 billion cost-cutting plan, the company will lay off more than 15% of its employees. (Sina Technology)

School boards across the U.S. ban smartphones: They'll sue social networking sites

According to the news, starting next year, elementary and middle school students in Los Angeles will no longer be able to use smartphones in school. And more and more places are planning to issue similar bans and sue social networking sites to completely eliminate smartphones and social media from elementary and middle school campuses. At the end of June this year, the Los Angeles Unified School District's Board of Education voted 5:2 to ban students from using mobile phones in elementary and middle schools. The new regulations will take effect at the beginning of next year. This means that more than 400,000 students in the school district will no longer be able to use smartphones in school, make calls or send text messages, and even less use TikTok and Instagram.

Social media giants have become the target of public criticism for educators across the United States, especially the three platforms that teenagers are most obsessed with: TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. In addition to banning the use of mobile phones on campus, school district committees across the country are also directly suing social media platforms. Currently, more than 200 school district committees across the United States have jointly sued social media companies, accusing these Internet giants of designing highly addictive social products that pose serious risks to students' mental health, and schools are also victims. (Sina Technology)

Stellantis, the world's fourth largest automobile group, begins layoffs: more than 1,200 engineers are fired

On August 2, the world's fourth largest automobile group, Stellantis, has attracted much attention recently, but more because of negative information. Data showed that Stellantis Group's net revenue in the first half of the year was 85.02 billion euros, equivalent to about 670.199 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 14%, lower than the expected 87 billion euros; at the same time, the net profit in the first half of the year was 5.65 billion euros, about 44.538 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 48%, lower than the expected 6.97 billion euros.

Due to the severe decline in both revenue and profit, Stellantis Group officials recently stated that it will shut down unprofitable car brands in the future. There have even been rumors of selling the Maserati brand, which was officially denied. As one wave of troubles continues, overseas media reported that Stellantis has recently announced layoffs. The company is considering cutting more than 1,200 engineering positions in Europe and the United States, and plans to offer a new round of voluntary buyout plans to U.S. salaried employees to cope with the challenges brought about by declining profits and electrification transformation. In a letter to employees, Stellantis revealed that the voluntary buyout plan will be aimed at non-union U.S. employees at the vice president level or below in certain functional departments. If the number of employees who voluntarily resign is not enough to meet the company's cost-cutting goals, Stellantis may take further layoffs.

In fact, in March this year, Stellantis had already laid off 400 technical workers and software engineers in the United States, accounting for about 2% of the employees in related departments. After that, the company also signed an agreement with the Italian trade union and planned to lay off 2,500 people in Italy. (Fast Technology)

Design copied from Apple? Lee Jae-yong expressed dissatisfaction with Samsung copying Apple

Samsung released the new generation of Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Buds3 and Galaxy Buds3 Pro last month, but these have become Samsung's most controversial products in recent years. The biggest controversy lies in its appearance design. Most users believe that these products are similar to Apple Watch Ultra, AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2. Some users also said that Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro has quality control issues. At least a large number of users have reported that its silicone earplugs will tear when taken out.

Samsung Group and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong was reportedly very dissatisfied with the "plagiarism incident" and was furious despite his usually mild personality. An insider at Samsung Electronics revealed that some senior executives, including MX Mobile Division Director Roh Tae-moon, were also punished for the incident.

The insider said that there is tension within Samsung Electronics' MX department, which has grown rapidly with its "AI smartphones" and is one of the highest-earning departments in the Device Experience (DX) department. The department will "completely redo management assessments." (IT Home)

Foreign media exposed a new Android malware that can steal funds and reset user devices

Recently, foreign media learned that a new malware called "BingoMod" is being developed for Android devices, and its potential functions have attracted widespread attention. It is reported that BingoMod is mainly spread among Android devices through SMS phishing. These carefully designed SMS messages disguised as mobile security tools trick users into downloading and installing malicious applications.

More worryingly, the malware asks the user to grant the Accessibility Services permission, which, once granted, gives it a high degree of control over the device, enabling it to access sensitive information, take screenshots, and execute remote commands. More seriously, the Accessibility Services permission also allows BingoMod to initiate screen sharing, allowing attackers to control the device in real time and see what the user is doing. This not only allows attackers to steal funds - BingoMod has reportedly been able to steal up to €15,000 from infected users' bank accounts - but also enables them to use the device as a node to spread malware, sending infected text messages to all of the user's contacts.

Even more frightening is that BingoMod also has the ability to remotely trigger a device to restore to factory settings. This means that once the attacker has completed their malicious purpose, they can delete all traces of activity and the location where the data was sent, making it difficult for the victim to track and recover. (CNMO Mobile China)

Cook said he is promoting the implementation of Apple AI in China, and China may soon use Apple AI

On August 2, Beijing time, at this year's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple announced that its AI system, Apple Intelligence, will first support American English and will add more languages ​​in the next year. However, users in China and the European Union are not yet able to try out this AI feature. However, Apple said on Thursday that it is working with regulators to change this. Cook was asked about Apple Intelligence's landing in other markets, especially China and the European Union, during a conference call on Thursday. Cook did not reveal too many details, but said Apple is "in contact" with regulators to make this feature available to "everyone." (Phoenix Network Technology)

Malaysia wallet suspended operations? WeChat Pay responded: All services will be officially stopped from September 1

On August 2, WeChat Pay MY (WeChat Pay Malay Wallet) issued an announcement, announcing that it will stop registering new e-wallet users from August 1, 2024, and will stop payment services from September 1, 2024. In response to this news, the relevant person in charge of WeChat Pay responded that WeChat Pay MY is an e-wallet service provided to local users in Malaysia. Due to the adjustment of local business strategy in Malaysia, the service will stop registering new users from August 1, 2024. Users with balances can withdraw funds through existing services.

In addition, WeChat's existing messaging services and other functions on the platform (such as WeChat Pay) will not be affected. WeChat Pay will continue to provide convenient payment for Malaysians when traveling in China, as well as service support for inbound payments by Chinese tourists in Malaysia. (IT Home)

EU AI law officially takes effect, with fines up to 7% of global annual turnover

20 days after the EU officially released the final version of the Artificial Intelligence Act, the world's first comprehensive regulation on artificial intelligence officially came into effect on August 1, local time. The Artificial Intelligence Act stipulates that fines for violations of prohibited artificial intelligence applications may be as high as 7% of global annual turnover, fines for violations of other obligations may be up to 3%, and fines for providing false information may be up to 1.5%. All provisions in the bill will be fully applicable within two years, but some of them will be implemented earlier. (Sina Technology)

Hollywood strike breaks out again! Voice actors protest: AI is taking our jobs

More than 300 Hollywood video game voice actors and motion capture actors went on strike in front of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on Thursday, saying artificial intelligence poses a threat to their careers. The strike is the first large-scale strike organized by American video game actors.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator of the Screen Actors Guild, said at the strike that artificial intelligence has become the most challenging issue in many of the union's negotiations: "Everyone in this country needs protection from the abuse of artificial intelligence." It is worth noting that last year, Hollywood union writers and actors also held a strike march, and the threat of artificial intelligence to their jobs was also one of the main issues they complained about. (Fast Technology)

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