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Hidden in TikTok’s iPhone Build: Code for Sending Money Through DMs
Code found within TikTok's iPhone app suggests the company is developing a feature to send and receive money directly within direct messages. While TikTok has stated nothing is currently being tested, ByteDance has previously launched similar payment services, Douyin Pay and TikTok Pay, in other markets. This move could leverage TikTok's massive user base to expand into financial services.
China reportedly allows ByteDance and Tencent to import 10,000 H200 chips
ByteDance and Tencent have reportedly received 10,000 H200 chips each, with other Chinese companies expected to follow. This development suggests a potential easing of restrictions on importing advanced semiconductors into China.
ByteDance agrees to reel in its AI models to protect Hollywood IPs
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has signed a memorandum of understanding with The Motion Picture Association. This agreement aims to ensure that ByteDance's AI models will not infringe upon Hollywood's intellectual property rights.
ByteDance’s Next Model Could Be China’s Biggest — Reportedly 10 Trillion Parameters
ByteDance is reportedly developing an artificial intelligence model with up to 10 trillion parameters, which would be the largest in China. This model is in pretraining and aims for world-leading capabilities, potentially rivaling systems from Anthropic and xAI. The company is focusing on advanced training techniques without relying on distillation from rival models.
Morning Safety Dance
A government-funded study warns that the Dutch semiconductor sector faces a high risk of Chinese interference. This warning comes alongside a CISA vulnerability summary for the week of July 13, 2026, highlighting ongoing cybersecurity concerns.
Evening Tech Bits
China is reportedly considering reversing its ban on NVIDIA chips, potentially allowing companies like Alibaba and ByteDance to purchase H200 chips. Separately, Linus Torvalds commented on his current programming tools, stating he is no longer a programmer in the traditional sense.
Tencent considering offloading Marvelous and some other gaming companies
Tencent is reportedly considering divesting from some of its gaming investments, including Marvelous, to reallocate resources towards artificial intelligence. This strategic shift is part of a larger industry race among major tech companies like Alibaba Group Holding and ByteDance.
Social media is awful but the UK under-16 ban won't solve anything: 'Instead of punishing children, the…
The UK government's proposed ban on social media access for under-16s is criticized by multiple writers as an ineffective and misguided policy. They argue that such bans are easily circumvented, push children to less safe platforms, and fail to address the root causes of social media's negative impacts. Instead, the focus should be on holding tech companies accountable and improving platform regulation and parental guidance.
TikTok creator ByteDance to start making its own processors
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, plans to manufacture its own central processing units (CPUs). This initiative aims to bolster the company's artificial intelligence capabilities.
ByteDance has had enough of waiting months for processors, so it's going to make them itself
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is reportedly developing its own CPUs to support its artificial intelligence infrastructure and reduce reliance on external chip manufacturers like Intel and AMD. The company is exploring both Arm and RISC-V architectures for its custom silicon. This move follows similar initiatives by other major tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.
Marvel Snap’s Second Dinner undertakes layoffs ‘to make sure [the game] can keep going’
Second Dinner, the studio behind the digital card game Marvel Snap and owned by ByteDance, has conducted an unspecified number of layoffs. Studio lead Ben Brode confirmed the departures, stating the decisions were made to ensure the company's fiscal stability and continued operation. The roadmap for Marvel Snap remains unchanged, with developers committed to improving the game's core systems and stability.
Marvel Snap studio insists: "This is us making hard decisions to keep going, not a sign we're winding down"
Marvel Snap developer Second Dinner has confirmed recent layoffs, including its community manager and a designer, assuring players that these are necessary decisions to ensure the studio's continued operation. Co-founder Ben Brode stated that the game's roadmap remains unchanged and these actions are not indicative of the studio winding down.
How China came to dominate mobile games – and how Western companies can compete | Opinion
Chinese companies have achieved global dominance in mobile games through strategic advantages like early adoption of free-to-play models, intense domestic market competition, and sophisticated live-ops. Western companies struggle to compete due to differences in organizational scale, talent acquisition, and cultural integration. The article suggests Western firms must focus on talent density and unique creative vision rather than scale to succeed.
Three YouTubers accuse Apple of illegal scraping to train its AI models
Three YouTubers have filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, accusing the company of illegally scraping copyrighted videos from YouTube to train its AI models. The creators allege Apple circumvented platform controls and that its success relies on content like theirs. Similar lawsuits have been filed by these channels against Meta, Nvidia, ByteDance, and Snap, while Apple itself faces other legal challenges regarding AI training data.
Savvy Games acquires Mobile Legends developer Moonton for $6 billion
Savvy Games has acquired Mobile Legends developer Moonton from ByteDance for $6 billion, aiming to expand its mobile gaming division and esports presence. Separately, Roblox announced plans to charge creators for brand integrations starting in 2027, framing it as an evolution of user, creator, and brand responsibility rather than a revenue-driven move.
Top 12 Most Expensive Video Game Buyouts Of All Time
This article lists the top 12 most expensive video game buyouts, with Microsoft's $75.4 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard topping the list. Other major deals include EA's $55 billion sale to an investor consortium and Take-Two's $12.7 billion purchase of Zynga. The analysis highlights trends of industry consolidation and significant investment from entities like Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
Savvy Games Group to acquire Moonton Games for $6 billion
Savvy Games Group is set to acquire Moonton Games for $6 billion. This acquisition follows ByteDance's purchase of Moonton Games for $4 billion in 2021.
ByteDance Sells Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Dev Moonton to Saudis for $6b
ByteDance has agreed to sell Moonton, the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, to Saudi Arabian-owned Savvy Games Group for over $6 billion. This acquisition is part of Saudi Arabia's significant investment in the gaming sector. Moonton's parent company, ByteDance, previously acquired the studio in 2021 but has since been divesting from its gaming ventures.
ByteDance is selling its Moonton game unit to Savvy Games for a cool $6 billion
ByteDance has agreed to sell its mobile game developer Moonton, known for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, to Savvy Games Group for $6 billion. This move is part of ByteDance's strategic shift away from gaming towards AI, while Savvy Games Group, backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, continues its expansion in the gaming sector.
One Of The Top 10 Biggest Gaming Buyouts In History Just Happened
Savvy Games Group has confirmed its acquisition of Moonton Technology, the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, for over $6 billion USD. This deal marks the sixth-largest buyout in video game history, with ByteDance making a $2 billion profit from its 2021 purchase. Savvy Games Group has been active in acquisitions, previously buying Scopely and Niantic's gaming division.
