This week in the news we take a look at eCommerce localization. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba announced its plan to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ‘BABA,’ Samsung and LG have launched rival smartwatches powered by Android Wear and Fliplingo finally went live this week with its human-powered Twitter translation service.
Alibaba to list on NYSE with symbol “BABA”
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said it will list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the trading symbol “BABA.” This news highlights the importance of eCommerce localization which helps companies gain access into new markets. The company filed a nominal $1 billion initial public offering in early May, but the ultimate offering is expected to be much higher. Analysts say the listing is expected to raise somewhere around US$15 billion, which would make it the technology industry’s largest IPO since Facebook’s listing in 2012. (Bloomberg)
Fliplingo launches Twitter translation service
Fliplingo finally went live this week with its human-powered Twitter translation service. After beta testing since February, the Thailand-based startup now has 300 active users and has so far created 2,500 translated tweets for its subscribers. Fliplingo founder Matt Aussaguel explains to Tech in Asia that most of its users are from the United States, and the demand for translation is mostly from English to Spanish or Asian languages, especially Japanese and Indonesian. (Tech in Asia)
The Philippines Holds Record for Slowest Xiaomi Debut Sellout
Xiaomi’s first sale of Mi3 smartphones in the Philippines yesterday (June 26) marks its slowest sellout ever. 3,000 Android-powered Mi3 phones were snapped up by shoppers after more than an hour. Xiaomi, known for its online flash sales, usually sells out a batch of phones in minutes. So far, Singapore holds the record for the fastest Xiaomi debut sellout at two minutes. Later this year, Xiaomi will launch in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and India. (Tech in Asia)
Samsung and LG Launch Smartwatches
South Korea’s Samsung and LG launched rival smartwatches powered by Google’s new software as they jostle to lead an increasingly competitive market for wearable devices seen as the mobile industry’s next growth booster. Samsung’s ‘Gear Live’ and LG’s ‘G Watch’—both powered by Android Wear—are the first devices to adopt the new Google software specifically designed for wearables. G Watch—LG’s first smartwatch—is also equipped with Google’s voice recognition service and can perform simple tasks including checking email, sending text messages and carrying out an online search at users’ voice command. (Channel NewsAsia)
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