Doubao Launches Consumer Mobile Assistant as Nvidia, Ugreen and Others Roll Out Hardware

The assistant can be woken by voice or a dedicated AI key. The AI key supports fingerprint authentication, so after the user verifies identity, the assistant can run tasks without unlocking the phone again. Voice wake-up has been adjusted for noisy environments. The new version also understands screen content, allowing users to ask about what is on the screen without taking a screenshot or switching apps, and to use screen information as input for later tasks. With user authorization, it can search data such as phone calls, photos, messages and notes. Users can also save screen content by voice, gesture or key for later search. The recording function connects to Feishu Miaoji and offers transcription, real-time translation, speaker separation and automatic summaries, and supports follow-up searches and questions about past recordings.

Under the automation declaration protocol, third-party app developers can define the boundaries of AI assistant automation by page and business step, for example allowing assisted editing but limiting final sending, posting or execution of specific actions. Doubao said actual execution also depends on system security policy, third-party app declarations and user authorization, and the assistant will not perform screen automation in apps that explicitly refuse it. The company said it hopes to build a more open and standardized mobile AI app ecosystem with developers.

Shaoshupai also reported that Nvidia posted a product page for the RTX PRO 5500 Blackwell workstation graphics card on Sept. 14. The card uses the Blackwell architecture, has 21,760 CUDA cores and 84GB of ECC GDDR7 memory, and has a maximum power draw of 600W. It is aimed at rack-mounted professional workstation deployments. The memory uses a 416-bit bus and delivers 1,398GB/s of bandwidth, equal to about 27Gbps effective memory speed. The GPU has fifth-generation Tensor Cores and fourth-generation RT Cores, three ninth-generation NVENC encoders and three sixth-generation NVDEC decoders, a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface and up to four DisplayPort 2.1b outputs. The standard version uses active air cooling, and an RXM form factor can offer liquid cooling. Nvidia said the card is designed for agentic AI, generative AI, physical AI, simulation, AI rendering, scientific computing, data analytics and video production. The product page still lists it as 'coming soon,' with no price or launch date announced.

On Sept. 11, Microsoft updated its Windows Health Dashboard to confirm that some Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server devices may experience Remote Desktop Services problems after installing the September security update. Affected devices may see Remote Desktop connections drop after a few minutes, fail to log in, or servers stuck on 'Please wait for Remote Desktop Configuration.' Microsoft Management Console, RDS Licensing Diagnoser, File Explorer and related tools may also stop responding, and Windows Update may remain in a loading state. The issue affects Windows 11 26H1, 25H2, 24H2 and 23H2; Windows 10 22H2, 21H2 and some LTSC versions; and Windows Server 2025 through Windows Server 2012. Microsoft is developing a fix. If an affected virtual machine can no longer connect over Remote Desktop, users can try stopping and deallocating the VM and then restarting it to temporarily restore the connection.

China Unicom said on Sept. 13 that it is expanding eSIM phone service to all brands and models that have obtained network access licenses, and the terminal support list will be updated based on first-sale dates. More than 20,000 China Unicom-owned business halls nationwide can handle eSIM services, the company said. Its published supported devices cover Apple, Huawei, OPPO, Honor, Samsung and Lenovo. Apple models include iPhone Air, iPhone 17e, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo. Huawei models include Mate 80 RS Ultimate Design, Pura 90 Pro Max, Pura X Max, Pura X Max Collector's Edition, Pura X View and Mate XT 2 Ultimate Design. For Huawei and Apple phones released in September, China Unicom launched an eSIM trial promotion offering free domestic data, international roaming and international data benefits. The company said it will continue to expand eSIM terminal compatibility and simplify service processing.

Homebrew released version 7.0.0 on Sept. 13 for macOS and Linux, focusing on installation and upgrade performance and software supply chain security while changing support for older macOS versions and Intel Macs. The update strengthens sandbox isolation during installation, limiting access to system files, network connections and sensitive user directories during builds, installs and tests. It adds vulnerability checks for installed software and a security advisory database. It also optimizes installation, upgrade and internal API performance and introduces a native macOS graphical application. Homebrew has dropped macOS Catalina 10.15 and earlier. Intel x86_64 Macs have been moved to Tier 3 support, without full CI testing or new binary builds. Homebrew currently expects Intel Mac support to end in September 2027 or later.

Ugreen launched its first Thunderbolt 5 GPU enclosure, with Thunderbolt 5 and OCuLink interfaces and an 850W gold power supply. A JD.com listing shows a price of RMB 3,489. The enclosure supports Windows and Linux. It has three Thunderbolt 5 ports, supports daisy chaining with up to 80Gbps bandwidth and is backward compatible with USB4, Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3. The OCuLink direct GPU connection reaches up to 64Gbps and can work with mainstream Nvidia, AMD and Intel discrete graphics cards. The built-in ATX 3.1 850W gold power supply includes a 12V-2x6 connector for RTX 40/50 series cards and supports PD 3.1, delivering up to 140W to a laptop through Thunderbolt. The aluminum body supports cards up to 370mm long by default. Ugreen NAS devices can already connect an external discrete GPU through Thunderbolt or OCuLink and provide the GPU to Docker containers for AI inference, video transcoding and other computing tasks.

Beyerdynamic's AVENTHO Y wireless over-ear headphones went on sale in China on Sept. 12 for RMB 1,199. They come in starlight blue, obsidian black, moss green and bubble orange, with a foldable design, aluminum sliders, stainless steel hinges and a weight of 316g. The earpads are replaceable, and the housing has physical controls. The headphones use 45mm dynamic drivers, support ANC and ambient sound mode, Bluetooth 6.0 and multipoint connections. A 650mAh replaceable battery provides more than 90 hours of playback with ANC off and more than 60 hours with ANC on. A five-minute charge can provide up to about six hours of playback. Beyerdynamic will sell a separate upgrade kit with a low-latency USB-C adapter and an external boom microphone in October; the kit is not included in the standard package.

Anker listed the Soundcore Boom Go 3i portable speaker on JD.com on Sept. 13 for RMB 489. It has IP68 dust and water resistance, three listening modes and Auracast multi-speaker linking. The speaker has 15W output, a maximum loudness of 92dB, BassUp bass enhancement and multi-band compression. It supports Bass Up, standard and Eco modes, with sound and light effects adjustable through the soundcore app. It measures 102 x 106 x 45.5mm, weighs about 380g, uses tear-resistant silicone, has a handle and a buckle for backpack straps, and includes a display for battery level and mode. Two units can form TWS stereo, while Auracast can link multiple compatible Soundcore speakers. It also has an emergency high-frequency beep function. A 4,800mAh battery provides about 24 hours in normal mode and up to 40 hours in Eco mode. Bose introduced its second-generation Bose TV Speaker, a compact soundbar with three speaker units, a wider soundstage and clearer voices. It supports HDMI, optical and Bluetooth connections and costs $299 in the U.S. The left and right speakers are angled, and a center tweeter is designed to strengthen voices. A Dialogue Mode can further highlight dialogue in movies, TV shows, sports and news. The bar is about 5.6cm high and can sit in front of most TVs. It connects through HDMI ARC/eARC or optical, and Bluetooth can play music and podcasts from phones and tablets. A remote controls volume, Dialogue Mode, Bluetooth playback and bass effects. It can also connect by wire to Bose Bass Module 500, Bass Module 700 and Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer.

In other announcements, Huawei said on Sept. 14 that HarmonyOS 1.0 has officially ended technical support and will no longer receive regular software upgrades or software updates. Apple recently clarified App Store Review Guideline 4.3(b), listing dating, flashlight, sound effects, wallpaper, simple timer and fortune-telling apps as highly homogeneous categories subject to restrictions. Unless a new app offers a clearly different or improved experience, Apple will no longer accept related submissions. Existing apps in these categories may also be removed from the App Store if they remain unupdated for a long time, lack improvements or fail to attract users. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman said Apple may expand the iPhone Duo line in coming years with iPhone Duo Max, Duo SE and Duo Mini variants. Gurman said that before the iPhone Duo was officially released, Apple internally called the product iPhone Ultra, but ultimately chose Duo as the product suffix.