AI-powered home cinema and smart appliances unveiled by Hisense at IFA 2025

Hisense will debut AI-powered innovations at IFA 2025 under the theme ‘AI Your Life,’ showcasing entertainment, smart homes, and climate-friendly technologies. The company aims to make AI seamless and personal.

Entertainment highlights include the 116-inch RGB-MiniLED UX TV with 8,000 nits brightness, plus new laser projectors offering IMAX-level clarity and portability for home cinema and gaming.

Appliances get smarter with the PureFlat refrigerator, featuring a 21-inch screen for cooking, streaming, and AI art. ConnectLife agents will optimise chores and energy use in daily routines.

The U8 S Pro Air Conditioner brings presence detection, AI voice controls, and air purification, while Hisense expands into smart buildings, energy systems, and automotive climate solutions.

Combining advanced display technologies with next-gen appliances, Hisense says its innovations will empower people to live more freely and confidently across global markets.

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EU Parliament challenges US-EU Trade deal while rallying around digital autonomy

During a special hearing, the EU Parliament Trade Committee scrutinised the US-EU ‘Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade’, from July 2025. Brussels expected that the deal would put an end to the transatlantic ‘tariff war’, but members of the European Parliament (MEPs) criticised the allegedly lopsided nature of the proposed agreement. Among other things, they argued that it would endanger Europe’s pursuit of strategic autonomy. 

Their perception has been strengthened by post-agreement declarations from US President, Donald Trump, who threatened to impose tariffs and export controls on countries whose taxes, rules or laws on tech companies “discriminate” against the US. This indicates that, from the US perspective, the agreement does not seem to put an end to the quarrel over European regulation. 

Central to the deal is a 15% tariff ceiling on most EU exports to the US – such as cars, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals –  replacing a patchwork of higher and less predictable duties. Without an agreement, the EU was set to get a tariff level of 30%, plus the ordinary Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff level in place before Trump. 

Alongside that, other commitments touch directly on the EU digital policy agenda. The European Union pledged to buy $40 billion worth of American AI chips for its computing centres (while blocking any leakage of semiconductors to ‘destinations of concern’), to engage in closer coordination with the US in technical standards, and to cooperate on economic security by, for example, coordinating on export controls to enhance supply chain resilience. 

The European Commission needs to have a majority in the Parliament to be able to enact the US-EU deal, raising uncertainty about the future of the Framework. Among MEPs, the digital sovereignty agenda is gaining strength. This week, S&D – the second largest political group in the EU Parliament – sponsored the launch of the policy brief ‘A progressive roadmap for strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty’, by Cecilia Rikap, in a display of the growing support for strengthening Europe’s autonomy in this area.  

MEPs also expressed concern that the US-EU deal may violate the laws of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The US is raising tariffs beyond its WTO commitments, while the EU is offering tariff cuts that discriminate against its other international partners, violating the Most-Favoured Nation principle.

In spite of the resistance, MEPs are expected to propose amendments to the text of the deal, rather than halting the agreement.

India and the US lead global crypto adoption

India remains the world leader in cryptocurrency adoption, topping retail, institutional, and DeFi categories, according to Chainalysis. The country’s strong performance reflects growing grassroots engagement and widespread mobile-first financial services.

The United States climbed to second place from fourth last year, boosted by regulatory clarity and increasing institutional participation. Pakistan, Vietnam, Brazil, and Nigeria also rank highly, reflecting crypto’s growing role in remittances, stablecoins, and emerging-market finance.

Asia-Pacific emerged as the fastest-growing region over the past year, posting a 69% increase in on-chain transaction volume to $2.36 trillion. India, Vietnam, and Pakistan contributed heavily to this growth, signalling the region’s increasing influence in global crypto markets.

North America and Europe maintained the largest absolute transaction volumes, with $2.2 trillion and $2.6 trillion respectively. North America’s 49% growth was supported by spot Bitcoin ETFs and regulatory clarity, while Europe recorded a 42% increase from an already high base.

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CJEU confirms Zalando’s status as very large online platform under DSA

On 25 April 2023, the European Commission designated Zalando, as a ‘very large online platform’ (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA), noting that over 83 million people used the platform monthly, well above the 45 million threshold. As a VLOP, Zalando is subject to stricter obligations, particularly in protecting consumers and preventing the spread of illegal content.

Zalando contested this designation before the General Court of the European Union, arguing that only its third-party seller section (the Partner Programme) should qualify as an online platform under the DSA, not its direct retail operations (Zalando Retail).

The Court rejected Zalando’s arguments and upheld the Commission’s decision. It ruled that Zalando qualifies as a VLOP due to its Partner Programme. Since Zalando could not distinguish between users exposed to third-party seller content and those who were not, the Commission was entitled to consider all 83 million users as active recipients.

The Court also dismissed Zalando’s claims that the DSA violated legal certainty, equal treatment, and proportionality principles. It highlighted the potential for large platforms to facilitate the distribution of dangerous or illegal goods. As such, Zalando remains subject to the enhanced responsibilities imposed on very large online platforms under the DSA.

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PayPal expands crypto payments with new settlement tool

PayPal has introduced ‘Pay with Crypto,’ a settlement feature that lets US merchants accept over 100 digital currencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, and stablecoins. Shoppers pay from wallets like MetaMask or Coinbase, and merchants receive instant payouts in dollars or PYUSD.

The service is designed to eliminate volatility risks by automatically converting crypto into fiat or stablecoins. Merchants benefit from near-instant settlement, lower fees than traditional card payments, and optional yield on PYUSD balances.

Small and medium-sized enterprises are expected to gain the most from global reach, quicker cash flow, and reduced costs.

For consumers, the process mirrors card payments. Buyers simply connect a wallet at checkout and pay in crypto, while merchants receive stable-value settlements.

The system enables non-custodial wallet users to spend crypto directly, turning digital assets into usable currency without relying on exchanges.

PayPal’s long-term goal is to create a global crypto-enabled infrastructure. With partnerships such as Fiserv and its upcoming World Wallet alliance, PayPal plans to integrate stablecoins and enable seamless cross-border payments through Fiserv and its World Wallet alliance.

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SCO Tianjin Summit underscores economic cooperation and security dialogue

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin closed with leaders adopting the Tianjin Declaration, highlighting member states’ commitment to multilateralism, sovereignty, and shared security.

The discussions emphasised economic resilience, financial cooperation, and collective responses to security challenges.

Proposals included exploring joint financial mechanisms, such as common bonds and payment systems, to shield member economies from external disruptions.

Leaders also underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation in trade and investment, with China pledging additional funding and infrastructure support across the bloc. Observers noted that these measures reflect growing interest in alternative global finance and economic governance approaches.

Security issues are prominently featured, with agreements to enhance counter-terrorism initiatives and expand existing structures such as the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure. Delegates also called for greater collaboration against cross-border crime, drug trafficking, and emerging security risks.

At the same time, they stressed the need for political solutions to ongoing regional conflicts, including those in Ukraine, Gaza, and Afghanistan.

With its expanding membership and combined economic weight, the SCO continues to position itself as a platform for cooperation beyond traditional regional security concerns.

While challenges remain, including diverging interests among key members, the Tianjin summit indicated the bloc’s growing role in discussions on multipolar governance and collective stability.

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Amazon rolls out Lens Live for real-world AI shopping

Amazon has introduced Lens Live, an AI-powered feature that lets shoppers identify and buy products by pointing their phone camera at real-world items.

The tool builds on Amazon Lens by adding a live, real-time element to product discovery.

Lens Live is integrated with Amazon’s AI assistant Rufus, which provides AI-generated product summaries, suggested questions and insights to help users make informed decisions.

It is powered by Amazon SageMaker and AWS-managed OpenSearch, enabling machine learning at scale.

The feature has launched on the Amazon Shopping app for iOS, initially available to tens of millions of US shoppers, with no word yet on an international rollout.

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Free GPU access offered to AI startups in Taiwan

Taiwan’s new Digital Minister Lin Yi-ching has unveiled his policy agenda, putting AI development, cybersecurity and anti-fraud at the forefront.

He pledged to build on the work of his predecessor while accelerating digital government projects.

Lin said the government will support the AI industry through five key tools: computing power, data, talent, marketing and funding.

Taiwan startups will gain free GPU access, revised regulations will release non-sensitive public data, and a sovereign AI corpus will be developed.

Cybersecurity and fraud prevention are also central. Measures include DNS blocking, government SMS codes, and partnerships with platforms like Google and Line to curb scams. Lin reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the digital certificate wallet.

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Hong Kong sees surge in stablecoin licensing interest

Bank of China’s Hong Kong-listed shares jumped 6.7% on Monday after reports that the bank’s local branch is preparing to apply for a stablecoin issuer licence. The Hong Kong Economic Journal said the branch has already formed a task force to explore potential issuance.

The move comes after Hong Kong launched its stablecoin licensing regime on 1 August, requiring approval from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. The framework sets strict rules on reserves, redemptions, fund segregation, anti-money laundering, disclosure and operator checks.

The regime has already drawn interest from major institutions such as Standard Chartered.

Chinese firms JD.com and Ant Financial have also expressed plans to seek licences abroad, potentially in Hong Kong, to support cross-border payments.

Advocates highlight the efficiency of stablecoins, noting that blockchain technology reduces settlement times and cuts intermediary costs. The benefits are particularly pronounced in emerging markets, where stablecoins hedge against currency volatility.

Regulators, however, have urged caution. The SFC and HKMA warned investors about speculation-driven price swings from licensing rumours, highlighting risks of reacting to unverified reports.

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Google avoids forced breakup in search monopoly trial

A United States federal judge has ruled against a forced breakup of Google’s search business, instead opting for a series of behavioural changes to curb anticompetitive behaviour.

The ruling, from US District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta, bars Google from entering or maintaining exclusive deals that tie the distribution of its search products, such as Search, Chrome, and Gemini, to other apps or revenue agreements.

The tech giant will also have to share specific search data with rivals and offer search and search ad syndication services to competitors at standard rates.

The ruling comes a year after Judge Mehta found that Google had illegally maintained its monopoly in online search. The Department of Justice brought the case and pushed for stronger measures, including forcing Google to sell off its Chrome browser and Android operating system.

It also sought to end Google’s lucrative agreements with companies like Apple and Samsung, in which it pays billions to be the default search engine on their devices. The judge acknowledged during the trial that these default placements were ‘extremely valuable real estate’ that effectively locked out rivals.

A final judgement has not yet been issued, as Judge Mehta has given Google and the Department of Justice until 10 September to submit a revised plan. A technical committee will be established to help enforce the judgement, which will go into effect 60 days after entry and last for six years.

Experts say the ruling may influence a separate antitrust trial against Google’s advertising technology business, and that the search case itself is likely to face a lengthy appeals process, stretching into 2028.

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