TECH

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Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed shares jumped 8% on Thursday after the Chinese tech giant unveiled its latest AI reasoning model, claiming it outperforms competitors like OpenAI and DeepSeek. The news also helped boost the Hang Seng's China Enterprises Index.

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Amazon has thrown its hat into the quantum computing race, unveiling 'Ocelot,' a prototype chip that could revolutionize error correction in quantum computing. The tech giant's announcement marks the third major development in the industry in recent months, following similar breakthroughs from Google and Microsoft.

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Apple has announced plans to establish a quarter-million-square-foot artificial intelligence server factory in Houston, Texas, by 2026. The facility, developed in partnership with Foxconn, will be dedicated to manufacturing servers for Apple Intelligence, the company's AI feature suite that powers email drafting and other automated tasks.

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Microsoft has announced that it will discontinue Skype operations in May 2025, shifting its focus entirely to its modern communication platform, Microsoft Teams (free). The move signals Microsoft's intent to consolidate its communication services around Teams after two decades of Skype serving as a leading online calling and messaging service.

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Despite international attention, Chinese tech firms remain steadfast on their AI capabilities, fueled by the recent success of DeepSeek's R1 chatbot. The Hangzhou-based startup stunned the industry by developing a chatbot that rivals Western competitors in functionality while significantly reducing costs. But concerns about the app's handling of users' personal data have pushed countries including South Korea, Italy, Australia and some US states to ban or restrict its use.

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Leading AI firms, including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta, are turning to a technique known as "distillation" to build more cost-effective and efficient AI models. This shift, sparked by competition from China's DeepSeek, has intensified the global race for AI dominance while raising concerns about intellectual property and market stability. As a result, billions of dollars have been wiped from the market value of major U.S. tech firms.

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In a strategic move to capture the budget-conscious segment of the smartphone market, Apple has introduced the iPhone 16e, a cost-effective variant of its flagship iPhone 16. Priced at $599, the iPhone 16e is set to launch on February 28, with pre-orders commencing on February 21.