China

A strong Australian dollar has done little to stop travellers from flying into Sydney from China and Singapore.

Qualcomm has announced that it has added six new processors in its Snapdragon 200 line-up for China and emerging markets. These processors are manufactured on a 28nm process technology and feature support for key modem technologies like HSPA+ (up to 21Mbps) and TD-SCDMA. “With the expanded line of Snapdragon 200 processors, Qualcomm Technologies is building on its dual- and quad-core processor portfolio for entry-level smartphones and tablets, bringing key process technology and modem features to all Snapdragon tiers,” said Jeff Lorbeck, senior vice president of product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. The new processors will also support dual cameras, with an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and up to a 5 megapixel front-facing one, as well as feature a single platform for all SIM variants, including Dual SIM, Dual Standby, and Dual SIM, Dual Active, and Tri SIM Tri Standby. According to a press release issued by the company, these new additions to Snapdragon 200 come with Adreno 302 GPU for better graphics support; integrated IZat Location functionality and support of Qualcomm Quick Charge 1.0; support for the latest Android version; RxD support; and a single, multimode modem enabling faster data rates, fewer dropped calls, and better connections. These processors as well as their Qualcomm Reference Design counterparts are expected to be available in late-2013. The post Qualcomm adds new processors in Snapdragon 200 line-up for emerging markets appeared first on AndroidOS.in.

China's seven day repo rate hit a record high of 12% according to Bloomberg, the biggest one-day increase since 2006. Meanwhile the overnight repo rate was quoted near 25%. The liquidity squeeze in China first began ahead of the Dragon Boat festival earlier this month. Spikes in interbank rates are common right before holidays. But Diana Choyleva at Lombard Street Research said this is symptomatic of a bigger problem. She said capital flows had "become a more important driver of domestic liquidity conditions in China's managed exchange rate system." In a new note to clients Bank of America's Ting Lu wrote: "There are many factors behind the interbank liquidity squeeze that might be cited, but we believe that the ultimate reason is the central bank’s tough stance as the PBOC can practically provide unlimited liquidity to ease every squeezeif it wishes to." So why isn't the Chinese central bank stepping in? As we previously explained the People's Bank of China seems to be in no mood to support banks' constant demand for liquidity. "It seems that the PBoC and some other regulators could be taking the opportunity of the tight funding conditions to ‘punish’ some small banks which had previously taken advantage of the stable interbank rates to finance their purchase of higher-yield bonds," wrote Lu. This also elicited some worrisome responses from some of our favorite China experts on Twitter. I hope you do realise that by now, China is on crisis watch. — Also sprach Analyst (@theanalyst_hk) June 20, 2013 SHIBOR at 25% basically means there is no functioning interbank market in China - it's like money markets seizing up post-Lehman — Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) June 20, 2013Join the conversation about this story »

Prime Focus will open a new office in Beijing later this year, the visual-effects company said Wednesday. In addition to effects work, Prime Focus said it will also offer 3D conversion and animation work. The company, which has worked on recent big-budget films such as "The Great Gatsby" and "World Wars Z," expects to open its doors in the third quarter of 2013. Related Articles: Rhythm & Hues Filing for Bankruptcy After Deal With Prime Focus Collapses After Rhythm & Hues, Visual-Effects Community Asks: What Now? Prime Focus to Handle 'Phantom Menace' 3D Conversion read more

It seems liquidity (or counterparty mistrust) is beginning to reach extreme levels in China as the nation's banking system is now quoting overnight repo transactions at 25%. The explosion in funding costs echoes the collapse in trust (and surge in TED spread) among US banks in the run-up to the Lehman bankruptcy. MSCI Asia-Pac stocks are down over 3% with China's Shanghai Composite -2.5% at seven-month lows. China’s 1-day Repo Rate Climbs to Highest Since at Least 2006 MNI - CHINA OVERNIGHT REPO FIXING AT RECORD HIGH China's bond market is also collapsing: Yield on 3.1% govt bonds due January 2016 jumps 39 bps to 3.749%, biggest rise since notes were issued in January China this week... US in the run-up to Lehman... Charts: Bloomberg

Aaron LaCrate helped popularize an influential kind of dance music from his home town The man who brought B-more club music to the forefront and built a street wear label that’s survived for over fifteen years, Aaron LaCrate, is landing in Macau for a night of music at club Cubic on the 29th. All around creative guy – producer, DJ, clothing designer, author and filmmaker, Aaron has made songs for the likes of Lily Allen, Lana Del Ray, Dizzee Rascal, A$AP ROCKY, and even Madonna! If you’ve been following the streetwear clothing scene for any number of years, you’re likely to have seen his brand, Milkcrate Athletics. The name of the brand alone shows his deep connection to DJing, as plastic milk crates were once the preferred method of storing and transporting vinyl records up until the digital era. Milkcrate is one of the few labels left from the late 90′s to still be around and independent. Aaron LaCrate made it to Hong Kong once about ten years ago, playing a special DJ set and giving a short talk. At the time I had no clue that he was also a DJ, and was impressed with his excellent song selection. Over the past ten years, he’s gone on to become a major producer, making beats for influential artists and exploring other projects such as founding a record label; collaborating with the HBO show The Wire; creating a score of videos, and even publishing a book. We’re curious what kind of music he’s playing these days, and we’ll be at Cubic on the 29th to find out! Check out the Milkcrate blog to learn more about Aaron LaCrate and the scene he’s part of! Much respect to a creative force who’s stayed in the game and done his part to bring up his home town in numerous ways. Recommended! Aaron LaCrate at Cubic Saturday, June 29th, 2013 Club Cubic Level 2, The Boulevard City of Dreams (entrance next to the Hard Rock Hotel) Estrada do Istmo, Cotai Macau Cover charge: $250 HKD/MOP Reservations: (853) 6638-4999 / rsvp@cubic-cod.com

Date: Jun 19th 2013 5:45p.m. Contributed by: geofferson Our top three spots in Shanghai to pop into for some popcorn.

Entrepreneur.com: A decade ago when Beth Heller and Tami Quinn opened Pulling Down the Moon in Chicago, “fertility yoga” was little-known. Today, they operate four centers in Illinois and one in Rockville, Md., offering a variety of services to women trying to get pregnant. “Never did we imagine that it would grow into a $1.3 million company,” Quinn says. To generate interest in their yoga classes, Heller and Quinn initially sent out marketing materials to area fertility doctors. As the customer base grew, so did the company’s holistic offerings, which now include acupuncture, nutritional counseling, Chinese herbal medicine and massages. Pulling Down the Moon’s story is an increasingly familiar one. As the number of fertility doctors has grown, so too has a cottage industry of yoga centers, acupuncturists, nutritionists, massage therapists, online sites and CD-makers that claim to increase a woman’s chances of conceiving. While the scientific evidence is limited, there is growing belief among both doctors and patients that stress-reducing techniques, acupuncture and proper diet can increase the probability of pregnancy.

The Australian dollar is lower after being hit by weak Chinese manufacturing data and the prospect of the US winding back it economic stimulus program.

Australian shares are sharply lower on concerns over an end to the United States' massive economic stimulus program and Chinese data.