Asian Tech Roundup: AWS goes goes big in Japan

Plus, Chinese gaming soars

The Federal Court has fined ME Bank AUD$820,000 (£425,300) after it provided customers with incorrect loan repayment information, due to a glitch in an automated system. Source

China has apparently backtracked on proposals to regulate the money and time people can spend on online gaming. Draft legislation was removed from the National Press and Publication Administration's website. Source

Indian authorities have set out to trap a leopard spotted patrolling near office campuses belonging to Infosys and TCS, in the Indore Super Corridor in Madhya Pradesh. Source
More than half of Apple's Q4 iPhone shipments in India were of its newest iPhone 15 model, helped by a large marketing push during the country's festive sales period. Source
Deputy IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said India plans to implement definitive laws to counter deepfakes, before the country's elections in April and May. Source
Sony has called off its planned merger with Zee Entertainment. Source

AWS will invest ¥2.3 trillion ($15.5 billion) in Japan between 2023 and 2027, mainly aimed at building datacentres and strengthening its business operations. Source
Japan has landed the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) on the lunar surface. However, a problem with the craft's solar cells mean the batteries may not keep it operational. Source
NTT Data plans to develop an AI that can detect cognitive decline in elderly drivers. Source

Senheng New Retail, Malaysia's largest electronics chain, plans to stop opening physical locations from 2026 and instead pivot to an online growth strategy. Source
South Korea has abolished its ban, active since 2014, on smartphone subsidies. Source
Taiwan's Academia Sinica research institute has connected its own quantum computer to the internet. The plan is to use it as a test bed for project collaborators. Source