TOP NEWS
* Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. said it never collected data from Facebook Inc. users, The Paper reports. The U.S. social media networking giant recently confirmed data-sharing deals with nearly 60 companies across the globe, including Chinese conglomerates Huawei Technologies, Lenovo Group Ltd., OPPO Electronics Corp. and TCL Corp. The social media networking giant said it is in the process of phasing out these partnerships. Huawei reportedly said it cooperated with Facebook to develop user services and never collected or stored Facebook user data.
* Tencent Holdings Ltd. is collaborating with Chinese authorities to create an "e-card" ID system that will streamline border crossings between Hong Kong, Macau and China's Guangdong province by linking multiple travel documents to its WeChat app, Bloomberg News reports, citing a company announcement.
JAPAN
* Sharp Corp. President and CEO Tai Jeng-wu said his company plans to turn the Toshiba Corp. personal computer business it is acquiring to profitability within two years, the Asahi Shimbun reports.
* Sony Corp. appointed Kazuhiko Takeda as deputy president and CFO at Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC effective July 1. He moves from his role as Sony's chief information officer. Meanwhile, Sony Senior Executive Vice President Shigeki Ishizuka was named president of Sony Imaging Products & Solutions Inc.'s digital imaging group.
SOUTH KOREA
* KT Corp. Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu proposed information and communication technology solutions for the island of Boracay to Philippine officials, Maeil Business Newspaper reports. The telco suggested the utilization of ICT technologies such as public Wi-Fi, intelligent surveillance cameras and an energy management platform.
* In other KT news, the telecom operator surpassed 160,000 subscribers for its unlimited data plan launched May 30, Yonhap News Agency reports. The telco plans to expand roaming services to Russia and Canada by the end of June as well.
* LG Electronics Inc. will launch a smartphone with a built-in stylus, named Q Stylus, next month, Yonhap News Agency reports. The company will first release the new stylus smartphone in Commonwealth of Independent States countries within this month.
CHINA
* Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., or Foxconn, is planning a new business model that would integrate both advanced hardware and software services, including cloud computing, Reuters reports, citing Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou.
* The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China has suspended registering new locally produced online games, ifeng reports, citing industry sources. The ban reportedly does not affect imported games.
* China's Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission summoned Kuaishou for placing inappropriate advertisements, which insulted heroic figures in Sogou Inc.'s search engine, Sina reports. Both companies have been ordered to remove the content and rectify the issue.
INDIA
* Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. partnered with Intel Corp. to establish a center for advanced computing at TCS' supercomputing facility in Pune, India.
* Bharti Airtel Ltd. is deploying 5,000 new mobile sites and 500 kilometers of additional optic fiber cables in the Indian state of Kerala in fiscal year 2019, The Economic Times (India) reports, citing Manoj Murali, CEO, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
* GTPL Hathway Ltd. is entering the cable TV market in Mumbai and is planning a 1.5 billion Indian rupee capital expenditure in fiscal 2019 on its cable TV and broadband business. The company also intends to purchase small cable TV networks, Television Post reports, citing Aniruddhasinh Jadeja, managing director of the company.
* Sony Pictures Networks India promoted Aman Shrivastava to senior vice president and head of marketing for Sony Entertainment Television (India), Television Post reports.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
* Malaysian telco operator Telekom Malaysia's group CEO, Dato' Sri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly, resigned, effective June 6. Deputy Group CEO Datuk Bazlan Osman was named acting group CEO.
* Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific Inc. entered into a licensing partnership with Indonesian real estate and hospitality investment company The Maj Group to build a 4.3-hectare entertainment park in Bali, Indonesia, which will use Turner Broadcasting System Inc.'s Cartoon Network Inc. brand.
* Thailand-based telcos Total Access Communication PCL, or Dtac, and CAT Telecom PCL will submit their remedial action plan with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission on June 7 for customers who will be affected by the end of their joint concession on the 1800 MHz spectrum band, Post Today reports. The regulator added that the two companies would be able to use the band for one more year to remedy affected customers in the event that no one else bid for the band in the upcoming auction.
* Malaysian telco operator Maxis Bhd. launched Maxis ONERetail, a range of digital solutions for retailers, which include cloud-based point-of-sale, e-commerce and SMS marketing.
* In other Dtac news, the mobile operator officially launched its cellular and data service on the newly acquired 2300 MHz spectrum band under the name "Dtac Turbo," Sanook reports.
* Spring News Television Co. Ltd. is looking for a new multiplexer provider as MCOT PCL, one of its MUX providers, will terminate the service June 16, Post Today reports. The termination is a direct result of Spring News owing MCOT 104 million Thai baht in MUX rental fees.
AUSTRALIA
* Accedo Broadband AB teamed up with broadcaster TVNZ to create a new ad-free online platform for children called Heihei, which features children's programming produced in New Zealand, such as content in te reo Maori.
* Spark New Zealand Ltd. demonstrated an in-vehicle 4.5G Wi-Fi service that showcases a Ferrari NV vehicle staying connected to Spark's 4.5G service all the way around the Highlands Motorsport track.
FEATURED NEWS
Conference Chatter: Infosecurity Europe: Diversity key to closing UK's cybersecurity skills gap: Cybersecurity executives at the annual Infosecurity Europe conference in London said diverse hiring policies are key for tackling the industry's skills shortage, as cases of leaked sensitive information increase in volume and severity worldwide.
FEATURED RESEARCH
Technology: Smart speakers take off: Smart speakers, also called virtual assistants or smart home speakers, have become increasingly popular over the past eighteen months, with total unit shipments surpassing 31 million in 2017, up from just 6.5 million in 2016.
Technology: Doubt around NAFTA, Chinese import tariffs muddy North American smart TV market: Smart TV shipments to North America increased 12% year over year in the first quarter of 2018 as Kagan estimates that 8.7 million smart TV units shipped to the region.
Joji Sakurai, Nicole Shiwon Kim, Emily Lai, Wil Hathaway and Ed Eduard contributed to this report. The Daily Dose has an editorial deadline of 7 a.m. Hong Kong time. Some external links may require a subscription. Links are current as of publication time, and we are not responsible if those links are unavailable later.
