October 16, 2026

4499 → 3085 Yuan: Xiaomi REDMI K100 Pro Max Flagship Phone Gets an Official 11.11 Price Cut

An IT Home shopping post advertises an effective starting price of RMB 3,085 for the 12GB/256GB REDMI K100 Pro Max, compared with a launch price of RMB 4,499. The advertised figure depends on combining promotional benefits, including an 88VIP coupon, platform coins and a government subsidy; it is not an unconditional price available to every buyer.

The post also lists offers for other memory configurations and the K100 Pro, with alternative JD.com deals. It repeatedly warns that promotions can change and the final checkout amount governs. The source labels the article as advertising and includes outbound shopping links. This is a summary of the listed offer conditions, not an independent price comparison or a guarantee that the promotion remains available.

Xiaomi

A Chinese company whose products include smartphones, connected home devices and electric vehicles. Reference ↗

Update: Refundable again after relisting—JD.com's 7,999-yuan Apple iPhone Duo early-bird benefits package was taken down after some consumers complained they could not get refunds

IT Home covered complaints about a RMB 7,999 iPhone Duo early-bird benefits package sold on JD.com. The original October 14 report said it was limited to PLUS members and bundled services and accessories, while the phone itself still had to be purchased at full price. Buyers questioned the separate charge and an initial restriction on refunds; the package was subsequently removed from sale.

The article carries an important update from 22:16 on October 14: the package was relisted and could be refunded. Readers should distinguish that correction from the earlier complaints. The reported price was for the benefits package, not the handset, and the account does not establish the current terms of every listing.

Three government departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, jointly investigate reports of vehicle brake pedal bracket fractures; Maextro says it will fully cooperate with the investigation team.

IT Home reports that China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Cyberspace Administration and State Administration for Market Regulation formed a joint team to examine reports of a broken brake-pedal bracket on the Maextro V800. The notice says the authorities will investigate and handle the matter under applicable rules, with further information to be announced.

The article reproduces Maextro's response: the company says it will comply with and fully cooperate in the investigation, while protecting consumers' rights. The report describes an investigation and a company statement; it does not announce a technical conclusion, a recall or a final determination of responsibility.

Apple's domestic AI suppliers emerge: Alibaba and Baidu; reports say the features will launch on iOS 27.3 in December

IT Home, citing Bloomberg and earlier Chinese reporting on October 15, says Apple is preparing a mainland-China launch of Apple Intelligence, with a December iOS 27.3 release under consideration. The account concerns an initial set of AI features across supported Apple devices, rather than the newly announced Siri AI assistant. The reported timing remains a plan, not a confirmed release date.

The article describes different roles for Chinese partners: Baidu for search and Siri-related services, and Alibaba for model capabilities including Qwen and Tongyi Wanxiang. It points to regulatory filings and a Baidu Visual Search module found in beta software as supporting context. These details do not establish that every feature will launch together; the report specifically notes uncertainty around the newer Siri AI reaching China.

Qwen

Alibaba's family of large language models, also known as Tongyi Qianwen. Reference ↗

Alibaba

A Chinese technology group whose businesses include commerce and cloud computing. Reference ↗

Baidu

A Chinese technology company known for internet search, AI and autonomous-driving technology. Reference ↗

Apple Intelligence

Apple's collection of AI features for supported devices. Availability depends on device, software, language and region. Reference ↗

DeepSeek's web and API services experienced partial outages today, displaying “The server is temporarily unavailable”

IT Home reported on October 15 that some DeepSeek users were receiving a “server temporarily unavailable” message. The short report said DeepSeek's own status page showed partial disruption to both its website and API, with an investigation underway.

At the time of that report, the disruption had lasted more than 50 minutes. The article did not establish the cause or give a recovery time; it should not be read as a statement that the service is still unavailable now.

Background: DeepSeek is a Chinese AI company known for large language models. Model announcements and community claims require separate verification.

DeepSeek

A Chinese AI company that develops large language models and offers a chat service and developer API. Reference ↗

Yu Shenghai’s Major Work *The Oil War* Published: A Century-Spanning History of Oil Wars

A promotional article on Guokr announces Oil Wars, a book by Chinese author Yu Shenghai published by Zhejiang People's Publishing House. The introduction describes a history of more than a century of competition over petroleum, linking energy resources with war, finance and geopolitical influence.

According to the announcement, the book ranges beyond the Middle East to examine world wars, the Cold War, dollar-denominated oil trade and newer energy-security disputes. It also discusses clean energy, China's energy transition and the possible role of AI in the energy sector. These are the author's analytical themes and the announcement's account of the book, rather than independently established explanations of the conflicts it mentions.

“Steam, Steel, and Infinite Minds: A Survival Guide to the AI Era” Published, Drawing Broad Attention

A book announcement on Guokr introduces Yu Shenghai's Steam, Steel and Infinite Minds: A Survival Guide for the AI Era, published by Guangdong People's Publishing House. It presents the book as a guide to how AI may change businesses, jobs and everyday decision-making, rather than as a technical programming manual.

The announcement says its topics include industrial applications, changes to management and business models, choosing AI tools, and risks involving data security and ethics. It argues that companies should connect AI projects to practical needs and train employees for collaboration with automated systems, while individuals should keep learning and develop critical thinking. Claims about the book's reception and its predictions for the future come from this promotional introduction; they are not findings from an independent review.

Why do some people enjoy watching Red Fruit short dramas?

Background: Hongguo is a Chinese platform for short-form dramas.

Zhipu begins a phased rollout of a high-speed model reaching 490 tokens per second. What does this signal?

Background: Zhipu AI is a Chinese artificial intelligence company.

Feel the Canton Fair's Vibrancy Through “Signature Skills”

Background: The Canton Fair is a major international trade fair held in Guangzhou, China.

After Writing Kotlin for So Long, Do You Really Understand in, out, and *?

Background: Kotlin is a programming language; in, out, and * are syntax related to generic variance and projections.

Draw Things Clothing-Swap LoRA Tutorial: Install with Silo in Seconds and Compare Outputs Using the Same Prompt

Background: LoRA is a lightweight method for adapting large AI models to specific tasks or styles.

Liu Wenyan dies after 12 years with ALS; son says, "Mom probably had no regrets left"

Background: ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells controlling voluntary muscles.

Presenter Ze Peng Does a Good Deed on the Double Ninth Festival

Background: The Double Ninth Festival is a traditional Chinese festival observed on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.

How should Chapter 737 (780) of The Outcast manga be evaluated?

Background: The Outcast is a Chinese manhua series.

Chen Guangyu, the 17-year-old core member of the Kimi team, confirmed to be heading to Silicon Valley

Background: Kimi is an artificial intelligence assistant developed by the Chinese company Moonshot AI.

Arduino BLDC: Dynamic Boundaries and Motion Constraints for Advanced Robot-Chassis Navigation

Background: Arduino is an open-source electronics platform; BLDC means brushless direct-current motor.

If a tennis serve can score an ace directly, why not specialize in practicing serves?

Background: In tennis, an ace is a serve the opponent fails to touch.

The claim that “Doubao has authority among people with limited cognitive abilities” sparks debate. Are people with poor discernment more likely to blindly trust AI or resist it?

Background: Doubao is ByteDance’s AI chatbot.

CICC: A market sell-off does not mean the bull market is over

Background: CICC is a major Chinese investment bank and financial services company.