Tech News Roundup: January 8, 2025

Tech News Roundup: January 8, 2025Wednesday, January 8th, 2025, saw a flurry of significant tech news, from Xiaomi's multi-million dollar tech award to Nvidia's new graphics card release and even a report claiming China has the highest average national IQ. This article provides a detailed overview of today's top tech stories

Tech News Roundup: January 8, 2025

Wednesday, January 8th, 2025, saw a flurry of significant tech news, from Xiaomi's multi-million dollar tech award to Nvidia's new graphics card release and even a report claiming China has the highest average national IQ. This article provides a detailed overview of today's top tech stories.

1. Xiaomi's Ten-Million Yuan Tech Award: Lei Jun Honors Outstanding Engineers

On January 7th, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun announced the inaugural "Ten-Million Yuan Tech Award" ceremony, recognizing engineers who have made outstanding contributions to the field. This award reflects Xiaomi's strong commitment to technological innovation and talent cultivation, marking a new milestone in its R&D efforts. Lei Jun emphasized that Xiaomi's success depends on its engineers, and the award is both recognition of their hard work and an incentive for future innovations. The winning "Xiaomi Super Motor V8s" project is highlighted as a significant technological breakthrough, with details and applications eagerly awaited.

2. Liu Qiangdong's Hometown Generosity: Ten Thousand Yuan Red Envelopes for Elementary School Teachers

According to Pear Video's report on January 7th, JD.com founder Liu Qiangdong expressed his deep affection for his hometown, Guangming Village, in a New Year's letter. He announced a ten thousand yuan cash reward for each teacher who taught him at Guangming Village Elementary School. Additionally, villagers aged 60 and above will receive a one thousand yuan cash gift. This move not only demonstrates Liu's commitment to education and his hometown but also showcases his dedication to social responsibility, setting an example for corporate social responsibility.

3. National Development and Reform Commission: Payment Barriers Imminent to be Eliminated; JD.com to Integrate with Alipay

Wang Shancheng, Director of the Comprehensive Department of System Reform, National Development and Reform Commission, announced at a press conference that payment platform barriers are gradually being removed with the rapid development of the internet economy. Following Alibaba's acceptance of WeChat Pay during last year's "Double 11" shopping festival, JD.com is poised to integrate with Alipay. This signals a more open and competitive payment market in China, promising consumers a more convenient payment experience and further boosting the digital economy.

4. Apple Releases iOS/iPadOS 18.2.1: Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements

On January 7th, Apple released iOS 18.2.1 (build number: 22C161) to iPhone users. Arriving 26 days after the previous release, this update focuses on fixing bugs and improving system stability and user experience. While specific fixes aren't detailed in the release notes, users can expect a smoother, more stable operating system.

5. China Ranked Number One in Average IQ Globally: International IQ Registry Releases Latest Rankings

According to Sputnik News on January 6th, the International IQ Registry reported that China holds the top spot globally with an average national IQ of 107.43, based on data from nearly 1.4 million individuals worldwide. Iran and South Korea followed with 106.63 and 106.57, respectively. This finding has sparked discussions regarding the underlying factors and implications of these IQ rankings, warranting further research and analysis.

6. BYD Seal 05 DM-i Opens Pre-orders: Featuring Fifth-Generation DM Hybrid Technology and Affordable Pricing

The BYD Seal 05 DM-i, featuring fifth-generation DM hybrid technology, started pre-orders on January 7th with a starting price of 89,800 yuan. The vehicle boasts a 1.5-liter plug-in hybrid system, including a 74kW 1.5-liter engine and a 120kW electric motor, achieving a balance between power and fuel efficiency. The launch expands BYD's new energy vehicle lineup and offers consumers greater choices.

7. Dell Rebrands its PC Lineup: Streamlining Products, Following Apple's Model

To simplify its product line and enhance user experience, Dell announced a rebranding of its PC lineup. Dell will discontinue long-standing names like "XPS" and "Inspiron," adopting a simpler "Dell" branding with a streamlined Dell/Pro/ProMax product line similar to Apple's. This change aims to make it easier for customers to find suitable PCs and enhance brand image and product recognition.

8. Nezha 2: The Devil Child Returns Trailer Released: Set for Lunar New Year Release

The official trailer for the animated film "Nezha 2: The Devil Child Returns" was released on January 7th, confirming its release date for Lunar New Year's Day, January 29th, 2025. The trailer showcased impressive visuals and storyline, generating considerable anticipation among viewers. As a highly anticipated sequel, "Nezha 2" is expected to achieve significant box office success.

9. HDMI 2.2 Specification Released: Doubled Bandwidth, Surpassing DisplayPort

The HDMI Forum announced the release of the HDMI 2.2 specification on January 6th, doubling the bandwidth to 96Gbps, surpassing DisplayPort. This provides content creators with higher-quality options and supports multiple distribution platforms. The increased bandwidth and next-generation HDMIFixedRateLink technology promise optimal audio and video experiences across various devices.

10. Yadea Launches First Sodium-ion Battery Electric Vehicle: 15-Minute Fast Charging, Enhanced Range

Yadea announced its first sodium-ion battery electric vehicle and the Huayu Ji Na supercharging ecosystem. The vehicle uses a high-performance hard carbon anode Ji Na sodium battery with an energy density exceeding 145Wh/kg, offering a 1500-cycle lifespan (5 years) and a 3-year replacement warranty. It also boasts over 92% discharge retention at -20 and can charge to 80% in as little as 15 minutes, significantly improving range and charging efficiency.

11. Jensen Huang's New Jacket and Nvidia RTX 5090 Unveiled: 92 Billion Transistors, $1999 Price Tag

At CES 2025, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, sporting a new jacket, unveiled the RTX 5090 graphics card based on the Blackwell architecture. Featuring 92 billion transistors and a starting price of $1999, its powerful performance has garnered significant industry attention.

12. Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Event Scheduled: January 23rd, Dialoguing with the AI World

Samsung announced that its Galaxy Unpacked event will be held at 2:00 AM Beijing time on January 23rd. The theme, "Dialogue with the AI world, embarking on a new journey; inspiring creativity, reconstructing the imagination," suggests significant advancements in the AI field.

13. AMD Releases Ryzen 9 9950X3D/9900X3D Processors: Gaming Performance Reaches New Heights

During CES 2025, AMD unveiled two flagship Ryzen 9000 series X3D processors: the 16-core/32-thread Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the 12-core/24-thread Ryzen 9 9900X3D. Based on the Zen 5 architecture and AMD's X3D technology with 128MB of L3 cache, these processors aim to be the top CPUs for gaming and creative professionals.

14. Nvidia RTX 5090D China Version Released: Priced at 16,499 Yuan

Nvidia's official website announced the pricing for the RTX 50 series in China. The RTX 5090D flagship card is priced at 16,499 yuan, slightly higher than the $1999 US price (approximately 14,659 yuan).

15. Performance Difference Between Nvidia RTX 5090D China and International Versions: Slightly Reduced AI Compute Power

Along with the pricing, Nvidia clarified the performance differences between the China and international versions of the RTX 5090D. While base performance remains the same, the AI compute power is reduced to 71% in the China version.

16. Tencent and CATL Added to US Department of Defense List: Both Companies Respond, Claiming Error

Tencent Holdings and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) have been added to a US Department of Defense list. Both companies have responded, stating the inclusion is an error.