Results tagged “qq”

If you follow us on our twitter, you've probably noticed that, every now and then, we'll ask you to chat with us on the new QQ International. What's QQ? It's the chat platform that's taken China by storm - basically any local with an internet has a QQ ID. QQI is the International English version of the platform, which now gives you a window into the China chatting world (download it here). And we're on it. If you want to join our group, talk to some of our writers and generally shoot the breeze about China and everything else with other Shanghaiist readers, here's our QQ ID: 35321512.

If you're reading this blog in China or if you've got one of your own here, you're part of a national trend: having blogs is about five times more popular in China than it is in the US. If you're listening to some music online and instant messaging at the same time, you're an even more typical Chinese Internet user.

Most social networks and web businesses generate their revenues from online advertising - but it looks like some do it much better than others.

QQ, China's wildly popular instant messaging service with over 690 million registered users, 360 million monthly active users and 130 million daily users, is now available in English, under the new portal IMQQ.com. As far as we understand, QQ has had an English version of QQ since 2005 but those earlier versions met with little success. With the launch of its new English portal, is Tencent Inc (the company behind QQ) finally setting its sights on the world? Well don't start scoffing at the idea because Tencent did make its millions way before MSN figured out how to monetise its Messenger service. Anyhow, for those of you that are interested, start downloading the QQ2009 Beta for Windows and the Mac version 1.0 beta to begin chatting with your Chinese friends.

Hot on the heels of the Asus eeePC and the meteoric rise of the netbook, Tencent has leaked that it is planning to launch a "lightweight, long-life notebook computer" next year. JLM Pacific Epoch says that it will be themed on the instant messaging tool. Our guess is that it will just be another ultra-light netbook with a penguin sticker on it.

Following their somewhat bizarre picture last month of Obama and a "dapper" donkey, the latest person to grace Baidu's homepage gives a slightly clearer message. The picture is of "Wheelchair Angel" (as she's been dubbed in some sections of the press) Jin Jing clutching the Olympic Torch to her chest, a position she adopted when pro-Tibetan protestors tried to snatch the flame from her in Paris last month. Clicking on the picture takes you through to a page headlined with the words "Protect the scared flame, make China faster, higher, stronger!"