China takes first step to steady economic growth

China acted for the first time this year to steady its stumbling economy by cutting taxes for small firms on Wednesday and announcing plans to speed up the construction of railway lines.

The Chinese cabinet said after its weekly meeting that it will accelerate the construction of rail projects that have been approved, and increase the total length of lines being laid this year by 18 percent compared to 2013.

The government also said it would lower tax rates for smaller companies by relaxing the criteria that allows them to halve their income taxes. This policy will be extended to the end of 2016, the government said.

The measures mark the first concrete action being taken by China this year to boost its economy, and come after Premier Li Keqiang last week sought to reassure jittery markets that Beijing was ready to provide support. [ID:nL4N0MP0CQ]

Flagging growth has unnerved global investors and fuelled speculation about a modest stimulus package to boost activity.

Two surveys of China's vast manufacturing sector showed this week that factories faced persistent headwinds in March, raising fears that the economy may be cooling much faster than thought. [ID:nL4N0MT0AA]

"We will find innovative ways including fiscal and financial methods to...steady economic growth," the cabinet said in a statement on the government's website.

The Chinese government said in March that it aims to grow the economy by around 7.5 percent this year, and a minority of analysts believe growth will ultimately fall short of 7.5 percent.

Increased construction of railway lines will foster investment, the biggest driver of China's economy, and which is rising at its slowest rate in at least a decade as the country moves towards consumption-driven growth.

The railway investment will be partly financed by bank loans, the government said. Authorities will also create an annual fund worth 200 billion yuan ($32.2 billion) to 300 billion yuan each year that is open to private investors.

For this year, the government will also sell 150 billion yuan worth of bonds to pay for over 6,600 kilometres of new railway track.

Railway projects in China gained infamy in recent years for their rife corruption and heavy debt load - problems that culminated in a series of corruption scandals at the Ministry of Railways that led to its dissolving in March 2013.

Projects are now overseen by China Railway Corp, which won approval on Tuesday to sell 150 billion yuan worth of bonds, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. 

Source: Reuters

Windows 8.1 update fixes many common issues

The latest update to Windows 8 will be available on April 8 and brings much-needed tweaks for desktop users, restoring some of the features Windows users have been missing since the Metro interface first launched.

First and foremost, the OS now detects whether you're using a tablet or desktop and mouse setup, and delivers the best experience for your device. This means that upon launch, if you're on a desktop computer, the OS will boot straight to the desktop, and on a tablet, you'll get the touchable tiles of Microsoft's modern interface. But don't worry if you prefer the way Windows currently behaves; you still have the option to choose your startup preferences in the settings.

One of the biggest complaints about Windows 8 was the loss of the Start Button as we knew it in previous versions of Windows. Windows 8.1 brought back the Start Button for some functions, but still didn't offer many of the most used features in older Windows versions. Now, with the Windows 8.1 Update, you get a mash up of both the traditional Start Button view and the live tiles. So, with a click you can now get recently opened apps, your documents folder, and other common options found in older versions of the Start Menu, but on the right, you get the live tiles from the modern interface. It seems like a good compromise between the two, and I like that it doesn't completely remove you from the desktop any longer.

Microsoft also made some changes with full-screen apps making them a lot more intuitive for desktop users and more in line with the history of the Windows OS. Full screen apps now (once again) have a title bar at the top, with the X in the upper right so you can quit out of an app easily with a click of your mouse.

With the modern interface out of the way on your desktop, it makes sense that Microsoft would find a way to make the Windows Store more accessible. Now, with this latest update, the Windows Store is automatically pinned to the taskbar on your desktop.

Source: CNET

Mercedes Benz New S-Class takes the lead with self-driving tech

The Good Mammoth cabin space and smooth ride quality make the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550's cabin the place to be, whether in front or back. LED lights and big LCD dashboard panels keep the tech ahead of the pack. A new Steering Assist feature eases driving in heavy traffic.

The Bad App integration loads too slowly for general use. Virtual instrument gauges look a little flat, and it needs a graphic fuel gauge.

The Bottom Line Mercedes-Benz takes a big step forward with its 2014 S550 flagship sedan, improving just about every feature in this model update, but app integration suffers from slow connection times.

Given its size (over 17 feet), powerful engine, and loads of tech, it is certainly worthy of more than one nickname.

Mercedes-Benz's flagship S-Class luxury sedan has been facing stiff competition, from the Audi A8 to even the Hyundai Equus . The company obviously couldn't rest on its laurels, especially considering the much lower prices of a few other big, luxury rollers.

The 2014 S550 shows that Mercedes-Benz took the threat seriously, and designed a car that will force other luxury sedan makers back to their drawing boards. Along with redesigned bodywork, a huge cabin, large LCD panels for instruments and cabin tech, and fuel economy technology, Mercedes-Benz adds an innovative steering-assistance feature that will ease driving and bring the S550 one step closer to being an autonomous car.

  Source: CNET

2014 Audi A7 TDI :Efficient diesel engine meets connected tech

The Good A diesel drivetrain gives the 2014 Audi A7 TDI impressive fuel economy for a large car. Connected features include Google local search and Google Earth integrated with navigation. Bang & Olufsen audio delivers detailed and balanced music reproduction.

The Bad The A7 TDI requires additional maintenance in the form of 10,000 mile AdBlue fill-ups. Audi's proprietary audio port requires adapter cables for external devices; a standard USB port would be preferable.

The Bottom Line The 2014 Audi A7 TDI includes some of the best connected tech available today in an automobile, and those inclined to put up with a few diesel drivetrain quirks will be rewarded with significantly higher fuel economy than from the gasoline equivalent.

In heavy traffic on the freeway, I let the 2014 Audi A7 TDI's cruise control handle braking and accelerating, and gave lane-keeping assist a try by letting the car drift over to the left lane line. Cruise control, using its radar to track the car ahead, unerringly handled stop-and-go without my intervention. And before the car crossed the lane line, the camera-based lane assist moved the wheel under my light grip, steering the A7 TDI back into its own lane.

Was I experiencing a glimpse of our autonomous driving future?

Not exactly, as the pull on the steering wheel sent the car on a drift toward the right lane line, from which it also corrected. If I let it have its way, I figured it would drunkenly weave back and forth between the lines, then get completely thrown off by the first serious curve or faded line paint. The A7 TDI's radar and cameras made it dimly aware of its surroundings, but true autonomy requires more sophisticated sensors.

Despite not exactly being the future of self-driving, the A7 has been a high-tech showcase for Audi since its launch in 2010, not to mention having an excellent body design that became much copied. For 2014, the A7 adds some driver assistance features, but its connected infotainment system is largely the same as before.

Source: CNET

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 arrives in 7, 8 and 10-inch sizes

Just what the world needs: more Samsung tablets. Samsung has officially announced the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, a new line of mid-range Android tablets in 7, 8 and 10-inch sizes.

All three are powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and Android 4.4 KitKat software. They connect to the Web via 4G, with 3G versions for the 10 and 7-inch models that will probably save you a few pennies. Prices and release dates are yet to be confirmed.

Each Tab 4 has 16GB of storage on board, or you can opt for an 8GB version of the 7-inch model.

The trio all include a 3-megapixel snapper coupled with a low-resolution camera for video chat. The tablets come decked out in a choice of black or white cases.

All three models boast a 1,280x800 screen, which means the smallest 7-inch model has the best pixel density: 215 pixels per inch, compared to the 8-incher's 188ppi or the 10-incher's 149ppi.

Source: CNET

U.S. Census Bureau News. U.S. Department of Commerce: New Orders for Manufatured Goods

Apple brings 4G-enabled iPad Air and iPad Mini to China

China’s shoppers got the newest iPhone and iPad models on their global launch day – for the first time ever – on November 1. But the 3G and 4G iPads were left out of the fun. But today (no, not an April Fool’s) the cellular-enabled versions of the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina display have arrived in mainland China. Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) Chinese website and online store have been updated with the newest additions. The iPad Air with 3G/4G starts at RMB 4,488 (US$727) for the 16GB model, while the new, Retina-screen iPad Mini starts at RMB 3,788 (US$613).

All these new iPad models only support TD-LTE 4G, which is China’s homegrown LTE protocol that’s being used by all three of China’s telcos on their fledgling 4G networks. However, buyers should beware that two Chinese telcos – China Unicom and China Telecom – will focus on FDD-LTE networks once the relevant regulatory approval for FDD-LTE has been issued. China flipped the switch on its (still partial) nationwide 4G network in mid-December. Apple’s iPhone 5s and 5c launched on China Mobile’s 4G network a month later.

Source: TencentTech

GLOBAL MOBILE INTERNET CONFERENCE Beijing gears up for its biggest conference yet (promo)

The annual Global Mobile Internet Conference (GMIC) in Beijing is one of the most influential mobile industry conferences on the continent. This May 5 and 6, the conference will bring over 10,000 attendees ranging from CEOs to developers to investors. (Disclosure: Tech in Asia is a media partner of GMIC.) This year’s speakers include Yuri Milner, Founder of DST Global; Pony Ma, CEO of Tencent; Dave Morin, CEO of Path; Charles Chao, CEO of Sina; Naveen Tewari, CEO of InMobi; Chen Haozhi, CEO of Chukong; Yu Yongfu, CEO of UCWeb; Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi; Hugo Barra, VP of Xiaomi; and Isao Moriyasu, CEO of DeNA. This year, the conference will focus on wearable devices, mobile internet financing, and mobile entertainment content.

Source: TECHINASIA

Qraved: Jakarta diners spent $1.5 billion on dining out in 2013 (INFOGRAPHIC)

Indonesia’s social dining directory and online reservation service Qraved today published a fun infographic about food – more specifically, about Jakarta citizens’ dining behavior. The infographic reveals just how social Jakarta diners are. These diners are most active on Twitter, followed by Facebook, Instagram, and then Path. These users made an approximate 40 million online searches about restaurants to dine at food promotions in 2013.

Qraved also estimates that Jakarta diners ate out 380 million times last year, spending a total of US$1.5 billion annually. This trend looks promising as the startup believes that the Jakarta dining industry has grown by 250 percent in the last five years. Check out the infographic below for more information on how Jakarta people like to dine out:

Sina Weibo picks NASDAQ for upcoming IPO, expects to make a loss this quarter

Sina Weibo’s US IPO – in which the Chinese social network is seeking to raise US$500 million – is still being cooked up, and today we got a few more details about what’s going on. Sina Weibo – a spin-off from Sina (NASDAQ:SINA) – has amended its form F-1 filing to show that it has chosen NASDAQ for the IPO, rather than the NYSE. The document also shows that Weibo’s stock ticker will be ‘WB’ – so it’ll be NASDAQ:WB once it goes live.

Here are a couple more new details from Weibo, as spotted by SeekingAlpha: Weibo expects a decline in revenues and a net loss in Q1 2014 – The filing explains: “While we are still in the process of preparing our financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2014, we expect our revenues in this quarter to decrease compared to the three months ended December 31, 2013, primarily due to seasonal trends. As a result, we also expect that we may incur a net loss in the three months ended March 31, 2014 as compared to the net income that we achieved in the previous quarter.” Weibo appoints Bonnie Yi Zhang as Weibo CFO – This leaves Sina’s CFO Herman Yu to concentrate just on Sina rather than also being Weibo’s acting CFO. Zhang joined Sina Weibo from AdChina earlier this year.

Source: TECHINASIA

5 indicators why Line could soon topple Facebook in Thailand

Thais really love their social networks. Thailand’s Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) reports that over 90 percent of web users in Thailand use social media. In addition, a mall in Bangkok is the number one most Instagrammed location in the world, while the city itself is known as Facebook’s capital city. The top three social media channels in Thailand as of last July were Facebook (92.2 percent), YouTube (63.7 percent), Line (61.1 percent). Some might argue that Line is a chat app, while Facebook is a social network. But we can’t deny that chat apps are becoming more and more like social networks, considering the design and functionalities. There’s no official information on Line’s latest local numbers yet, but we can be sure that it isn’t just waiting around to become a dominant player in Thailand. Here are some indicators that the Japan-based chat app could be taking over Facebook in Thailand: 1. Line is devoting more resources than Facebook to growing its market share While the closest Facebook office to Thailand is in Singapore, Line has just recently opened a new office in the heart of Bangkok on Sathorn road, making this the fourth office after Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Although Facebook can work remotely to support users in Thailand, a local presence shows the commitment Line has for the market. In addition, Line also announced that the company is looking to hire more people to support the team in Thailand.

2. Line is catching up with Facebook in its Thai user base Line and Facebook have very close user numbers in Thailand. According to Facebook Ads, it still leads with roughly 26 million users, while Line now has 24 million users. The gap has shrunk considerably. Line is also extremely successfull at monetizing its games platform.
 3. Line knows stickers; Facebook is clueless Admit it, Facebook is kinda late to the game with its stickers. Yes, it finally realized that emoji and stickers are one of the ways to win the hearts of Asian users. But Line has done it better and more successfully. It has already partnered with several big brands in Thailand to create special-edition stickers while Facebook is just starting to get into it. Line also knows the credit card issues that Thai people have and have begun offering alternative ways for Thai people to buy stickers. 
4. People are shopping like crazy on Line Social ecommerce is big in Thailand. Even when the country’s economy suffered from political unrest, ecommerce was one of the industries that still saw growth. Thais don’t only rely on online marketplaces like OLX to find products, they use Facebook and Instagram to browse too. Since it’s still a grey, untaxed market, there’s no absolute value on how big it is. But it’s safe to assume that any Thai on Facebook or Instagram must have seen one or two merchants trying to sell their products on these channels. Line saw this as an opportunity. It ran a flash sale that pulled in 5.5 million shoppers. It also started partnering with smaller retail startups to offer an m-commerce service to its customers. So far, there doesn’t seem to be merchants who have conducted flash sales of this scale on Facebook.
5. Facebook is no longer cool worldwide Yes, Facebook is losing its teenage audience. We’ve talked before about how the younger generation is migrating away from the world’s number one social media as our parents join the platform. The Global Web Index says that Thais are moving away from Facebook and into China-made app WeChat. However, it seems like WeChat is far from being number one in Thailand, which means, with the games and stickers, Line could be the one winning Thai teenagers’ hearts. Of course, it would be naive to say that Facebook is going away anytime soon. However, with the momentum that Line has gained in the past year, if Thailand is an important market, Mark Zuckerberg might have to re-evaluate this rival from Japan in order for it to maintain its status as the number one social media platform in the country.

Source: TECHINASIA

Hennessey gets patriotic with Venom GT “World’s Fastest Edition”

Last month, the Hennessey Performance (HPE) Venom GT skidded into the record books when it hit over 270 mph at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. To commemorate this event, as well as snatching a Guinness World Record by doing 0 to 300 km/h (186 mph) in 13.63 seconds, HPE is rolling out its very limited-run World’s Fastest Edition (WFE) Venom GT with a special livery.

On February 14, the Venom GT hit 270.49 mph (435.31 km/h) on the 3.2-mi (5.1 km) Space Shuttle runway at the Kennedy Space Center, setting a new world speed record for a production series two-seat sports car. Though the speed was independently confirmed, the run by Brian Smith, Director of Miller Motorsport Park, test driver, vehicle dynamic engineer, and authorized by NASA’s Performance Power LLC Space Act Agreement, is still unofficial because the space agency did not allow the Venom to do a second run in the opposite direction on the same day, as the rules require.

The special edition’s livery has a patriotic flair. According HPE founder John Hennessey, “The Venom GT is America’s supercar and it broke 270 mph on the same runway where the Space Shuttle landed at the Kennedy Space Center. We wanted to offer a special paint scheme that would incorporate the colors of the American flag – the same flag we flew on the Space Shuttle runway. Thus, our special livery package includes a body in white with red and blue stripes.”

The company attributes the Venom GT’s record-breaking speed to its 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine cranking a daft 1,244 bhp (928 kW) mounted in a car weighing only 2,743 lb (1,244 kg) for a power to weight ratio of 1 bhp/kg. The light weight of the body is due to its aluminum construction, carbon-fiber bodywork, and featherweight carbon-ceramic brakes.

If you want one of the WFE cars, you’re already out of luck. Only three are being built and they’ve all been sold for a cool US$1.25 million each.

Source: Gizmag

R/C Bullet car sets new world record of 188 mph

Everyone loves seeing a world record broken, especially when it involves exceedingly fast things. Nic Case recently set out to break his own world record for fastest R/C car, and he succeeded, pushing his Bullet car to a whopping 188.87 mph (304 km/h) – and no, that's not scaled down to the size of the car.

A while back we covered a remote control car from Traxxas that could hit 100 mph (161 km/h), which is nothing short of impressive. However, that feels like a snail's pace when compared to what Case has managed to accomplish with his car. Of course, the Traxxas XO-1 is commercially available, while the car used to achieve this world record is not one you will be able to run to your local hobby shop to acquire.

Nic Case and his team's creation barely looks like a car at all. Instead, it looks more like a futuristic spaceship cutting down the track. Really, there are no words that can truly give you the sense of the speed this tiny car reaches. Instead, check out the video below, and get a feel for just what 188 mph in a 1/10 scale R/C car feels like.

... and just to give a little context, the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe hits a top speed of about 186 mph (299 km/h), which is just slightly slower than the Bullet.

Source: Gizmag

David Brown's DB5-inspired Speedback debuts in London

Unveiled at a private event in London last week, the first design from newly founded David Brown Automotive was made available to a select few. The Speedback from this new automotive enterprise, though not associated with Aston Martin’s founder Sir David Brown (the DB in DB5), takes more than a little artistic license with its interpretation of the James Bond classic.

Borrowed from Jaguar’s XKR, the Speedback’s 5.0-liter supercharged V8 provides the fastback with 510 horsepower (380 kW), 461 lb.ft (625 Nm) of torque and enough tea and crumpets to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds. The XK’s aluminum spaceframe chassis also makes its way into the mix, as does the Jaguar 6-speed automatic gearbox and pretty much most of the big cat’s interior decor. The Speedback does have one original retro-design trick up its sleeve, though, a hidden seat built into the trunk that can be used for any number of bespoke British activities.

The problem that Brown and his Chief Designer, Alan Mobberley, faced in designing the Speedback was that they have essentially tried to improve on the Aston Martin DB5 and DB6, two of the world’s most iconic automobiles. Fiddling with or replacing various design elements in an effort to hide the obvious imitation ultimately brings about the weaknesses and flaws we see in the Speedback.

The view from the back is probably the Speedback’s most flattering. The stacked taillights and the strong hatch, in combination with the punched out haunches, definitely give the car an air of performance with a slight retro vibe. On profile, the whole thing unfortunately falls apart. The section behind the rear wheel axis comes off as exceptionally heavy and bulbous when compared to the DB5’s athletic proportions.

The case against the car’s aesthetics is further reinforced by the excessive distance between the Speedback’s rocker panels and hoodline and window sills, a byproduct from the XKR’s platform perhaps. An aerial perspective is about the most flattering place to view the Speedback as the car's disproportionate qualities are mostly hidden from sight. To be fair, the car from the front and just off to the side does have some redeeming visual qualities, until it rounds the bend. Then you’re just left shaking your head wanting Daniel Craig to happen by in the real DB5 to cleanse your visual palette.

Key GT elements like the rakish 2+2 cabin and the sloping fastback are there, but by trying to set the car apart from its mentors, it ends up a disproportionate mashup of Maserati meets Porsche meets Aston Martin in a dark alley. From certain perspectives the car looks good, but the Speedback’s nose and headlights convey a clear message that Brown’s team wanted Aston Martin aspects in the design, but with a twist.

From a nose-on position the car actually exudes some Mini Cooper characteristics. Unfortunately the finished half-effort that is the Speedback would have fared better had the team revamped the design using extreme elements from both ends of the retro and contemporary spectrum.

Source:David Brown Automative

American-made 270 mph+ Nemesis supercar to pack 2,000 hp

 Trion Supercars' Nemesis is an angry, 2,000-hp beast that has its eyes on the world record territory north of 270 mph (435 km/h).

In 2012, Rich Patterson fulfilled his lifelong dream, leveraging nearly three decades in the automotive industry to found his own company, California-based Trion Supercars. Patterson's experience in cars began at the tender age of 15 when he won a contest for an apprenticeship at General Motors Fisher Body Group. He went on to build a career in the industry, working for notable names like Chrysler, Tesla and Fisker, with a focus on interior design.

Patterson's experience in interior design and space solutions shines through in the proposed design of the Nemesis supercar. The car looks as low and compact as any supercar out there, but Trion plans to make a car that can accommodate a 6-foot 4-in (2-m) driver comfortably, while carrying golf clubs or luggage in the trunk. It also says the cabin will capitalize on reduced volumes to increase spaciousness. An internet-connected infotainment display will connect the driver and the car to the wider world.

Of course, if you wanted a spacious, cozy car, you wouldn't be looking at a boutique supercar. The real story of the Nemesis is its 2,000-hp twin-turbo V8 engine, a massive, growling power plant that will send the car screeching to an estimated 270+ mph (435+ km/h) top speed after hitting 60 mph (96.5 km/h) in 2.8 seconds. Trion also mentions offering hybrid and electric versions but doesn't provide further details.

Trion hasn't provided much other hard information about the Nemesis, but it does say that the car will feature an eight-speed sequential transmission; multiple driving modes, including a "predator mode" with modified height, suspension, exhaust and rev limits; and active aerodynamics. It will be constructed with a carbon fiber chassis and body with Inconel alloy mixed in.

Maybe it's just the orange color that Trion chose for the rendering up top, but the Nemesis reminds us of a rougher, less voluptuous McLaren P1. It has a similarly angry glare to its face and a mesh rear fascia surrounded by taillights. It's a good looking design as far as American supercars go, but we're not sure it will effectively meet Trion's goal of challenging "European dominance of the prestigious exotic supercar category."

Trion says that it plans a line of vehicles starting in the mid-range exotic market and working right up to the "very high end." Its initial renderings show a number of Nemesis trims, including the electric E and a GT.

Source: Trion Supercars via AutoBlog

IMF@News Where are real interest rates headed

Greyhound fastest dog in Super Slow Motion

Cheetah vs Greyhound - World's Fastest Dog In Super Slow Mo

Cheetah hunts Gazelle

Slow Motion Cheetah Hunt.

Traveling again in Hollywood FL

Taking my time, looking at the sky  how clouds go by. 

Jawbone Snaps Up Playground.fm

Looks like instead of being acquired, wrist and speaker hardware company Jawbone is doing some acquiring, scooping up social and personalized music playlist app Playground.fm, according to a well-placed source.

Last time we heard something about Jawbone, it had closed a new financing round of about $250 million at around a $3 billion valuation. Kara Swisher and Re/code had reported a similar range at the time. We had also learned that the company was seeing a $600 million revenue run rate, mostly from its diminutive speaker products.

We have no word on the size of the Playground.fm deal, but did hear that the team and investors were happy and that it was over eight figures. Our source says that the startup was in the process of raising a funding round when Jawbone came in with a successful offer.

Playground.fm is a free music service on iOS and iPad and touts itself as “human-powered”radio. The app pulls your Facebook and Spotify data in order to build you a personalized radio station.

The company also has some appealing patented tech and a talented founding team deep in the music space, including Mehul Trivedi, the original iOS audio engineer at Apple, former Atlantic Records DJ Austin Soldner and Vivek Agrawal, a former Product and Business Development lead at Topspin.

Perhaps Jawbone is working on its own streaming music service — a Jambox Radio, if you will? In the game to own the full stack in every vertical you tackle, a move like this would make sense: “Buy a Jawbone speaker, get unlimited music streaming.”

And it would seem logical that Playground.fm would want to cast its lot with a platform like Jawbone versus being just another music app all on its lonesome.

Update: Jawbone has confirmed on the record that they bought Playground.fm last year.

Source: TechCrunch

Xiaomi wants to sell 100 million phones in 2015, tall task to equal Lenovo

Xiaomi plans to sell 100 million smartphones next year, according to Sina Tech. Founder and CEO Lei Jun commented on the number at the recent IT Leadership Summit in Shenzhen. Lei also expects Xiaomi’s revenue to hit RMB 70 billion (US$11.2 billion) this year. Update March 31 @3:30: Xiaomi announced today it upped this year’s sales projection to 60 million smartphones from the previous 40 million. It’s already sold 11 million in the first quarter of this year. Xiaomi already announced this year’s goal of 60 million units, while last year it came up 1.3 million short of its target 20 million. That projection would put Xiaomi on pace with fellow Chinese smartphone maker Lenovo, which also recently announced the 100 million in 2015 goal. Both companies are gradually pushing their phones out to an international audience, but Xiaomi has some serious catching up to do. Lenovo sold more than twice as many phones as Xiaomi last year, according to IDC’s estimates. Lei bases his projections on a consistent 150 percent increase year-on-year, which the company achieved between 2012 and 2013. The biggest obstacle for Xiaomi and Lenovo, however, might not be competing smartphone brands, but domestic consumers. China’s smartphone shipments fell for the first quarter in over two years in Q3 2013, according to IDC, and both companies are still mostly dependent on the Chinese market. 

Source:  TECHINASIA

Second Japan nuclear operator to get government bailout

Hokkaido Electric Power Co , facing a third year of financial losses, will get a capital infusion from a state-owned lender, the Nikkei reported on Tuesday, the second nuclear operator to be bailed out since the Fukushima crisis.

The government-owned Development Bank of Japan will buy about 50 billion yen ($485.51 million) of preferred shares in the regional utility, equal to about 20 percent of shareholder equity, the Nikkei reported, without citing sources.Hokkaido Electric, which is the regional monopoly that supplies power to the country's northernmost island of the same name, is looking into the report, a spokesman said.
Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) was bailed out by the government in 2012, after an earthquake and tsunami hit its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant north of Tokyo the previous year, causing the worst atomic crisis since Chernobyl in 1986.
All of Japan's 48 nuclear reactors are in shutdown and undergoing stringent safety checks with no schedule for restarts, forcing operators to import more costly fossil fuels.

Source: reuters

Japan factory output slides, outlook clouded by sales tax hike

Japan's factory output unexpectedly fell in February at the fastest pace in eight months in a possible sign that the benefits from last-minute demand before an impending sales tax hike may have run their course.

The data adds to growing concerns of a stumble in the economy, and comes on the heels of a separate survey showing manufacturing activity expanded at a slower pace in March.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said industrial output fell 2.3 percent in February from the previous month, compared with a 0.3 percent rise expected by economists in a Reuters poll.

The weak result followed a solid 3.8 percent gain in January, which was driven by brisk production of cars and household appliances.

Manufacturers surveyed by the ministry expect output to rise 0.9 percent in March but decrease 0.6 percent in April, the METI data showed, suggesting a lack of confidence in domestic demand.

The data comes a day before the national sales tax rises to 8 percent from 5 percent on Tuesday.

Source: Reuters

Japan: Consumption tax rises to 8%

Japan's consumption tax has risen to 8 percent from 5 percent, the first increase in 17 years.

Many retailers and vending machines began charging higher prices from midnight on Tuesday.Rail operators will reprogram ticket vending machines during the night. New prices will take effect from the first service on Tuesday.
The government estimates that the sales tax will bring in about 5 trillion yen, or about 49 billion dollars, in fiscal 2014. That figure is expected to reach about 8 trillion yen, or about 78 billion dollars, in fiscal 2015.
The money will be spent on social welfare, including healthcare and pension programs, to deal with the aging population.
But some economists have warned that the tax increase may slow consumption.

Source: NHK