Chinese Alibaba has released the QVQ AI model, capable of reasoning and analyzing images.

A free demo version is available. QvQ-72B-Preview is an open-source multimodal AI model that can analyze charts and images to solve tasks. The demo version is available on Hugging Face, and the code can be found on GitHub.

The developers claim that QvQ-72B outperforms o1 and GPT-4o from OpenAI, as well as Claude 3.5 Sonnet, in mathematics. In an example on the company's website, the neural network solves a math problem using data from a table.

EBay and Klarna expand partnership.

EBay and Klarna, a global payment network and AI-powered shopping assistant, have announced the expansion of their strategic partnership across key European markets, making Klarna's "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) payment options available to more eBay customers.

This move provides eBay shoppers with greater choice and flexibility in payment methods, aligning with the evolving preferences of modern consumers. According to the 2024 PYMNTS Intelligence report, nearly half of Gen Z and millennial consumers used BNPL in the past 12 months.

Building on a successful launch in Germany, eBay is now offering Klarna's flexible payment options to millions of customers in the UK, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, with plans to expand to additional markets soon.

Walmart launched a virtual showroom.

If you want to wander around it, there is a not very noticeable button at the bottom to go to the next store.

We previously wrote about a similar store on Amazon.

The Financial Times has released its traditional forecast for 2025.

Bigtech is facing a period of stagnation. The Magnificent Seven (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla) will maintain their leadership but will face slower growth.

All due to the growing costs of AI and infrastructure development.

Bitcoin will break the $200,000 mark.

The Financial Times has published a fresh forecast for the upcoming 12 months.

Bitcoin only recently surpassed $100,000 for the first time, but analysts predict further growth, up to $200,000. This success is attributed to upcoming changes in U.S. policy, with expectations that the crypto industry will receive special support following Donald Trump's inauguration.

‘Stressed’ Amazon driver ditches 80 packages in the woods, police say.

In a pre-Christmas mystery, a police officer in southeastern Massachusetts discovered a clutch of more than 80 Amazon packages nestled beneath a tree — or rather, several trees — in a wooded area of Lakeville early Sunday.

The sergeant was on a 2 a.m. patrol when he spotted the haul of three large Amazon totes spread out in the woods, the Lakeville Police Department said in a news release. Police had the items loaded into a pickup truck and taken back to the station to be inventoried, the department said. Lakeville is about an hour south of Boston.

Police were still puzzling over where the items came from, with no recent reports of misplaced or stolen packages, before handing them over to an Amazon distribution center in nearby Middleborough, Massachusetts, for redelivery. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

The mystery was ultimately short-lived: An overwhelmed delivery driver visited the police department to explain that they had left the packages on the side of the road around 7 p.m. on Saturday “because they were stressed,” police said.

Lakeville Police Chief Matthew Perkins praised Sgt. Shawn Robert for probably saving “a Christmas headache for many local residents” by spotting the packages and getting them back to Amazon. The driver was not identified, with Perkins stating that the matter was not a criminal one but a human resources issue for Amazon.

As for the intended recipients, a spokesperson for Amazon told The Post on Thursday that the items were redelivered and made it to their destinations on time.

Amazon and Intuit expand their strategic partnership in 2025.

QuickBooks will become Amazon’s preferred partner for financial management solutions integrated directly in Amazon Seller Central, the Amazon site where sellers manage their businesses.

Starting in mid-2025, Amazon sellers can benefit from seamless access to Intuit accounting, tax, and lending solutions from within Seller Central. The expanded Amazon-Intuit partnership will give sellers the ability to bring their existing Amazon data into Intuit products and experiences—ultimately making it easier for sellers to understand and optimize profitability, manage cash flow, access capital, and simplify taxes with confidence.

Real-Time Crypto Ticker on Amazon.

CryptoTicr is a passion project of a dedicated USA-based creator focused on crafting the finest cryptocurrency ticker available. This gadget provides a remarkable experience and includes a Two-Year Warranty and USA-based support directly from it's creator.

Live Real-Time Prices: CryptoTicr displays up-to-the-minute cryptocurrency prices for any of the top 1,000 coins (by market share, for example Toncoin), always on, always keeping you informed.

Business Insider Names the Richest and Poorest People of 2024.

Colin Huang, founder of the Chinese marketplace Temu, lost $17 billion following a 30% drop in the company's stock. In August, Temu announced that its shares would continue to decline in 2025 due to weakening consumer sentiment.

As for the richest individuals, the rankings remain unchanged. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jensen Huang lead the list.

Luxury Hair Tie Set – a perfect product for your marketplace store that combines style, quality, and trendy design.

Product Description
— The set includes 5 hair ties, made from satin and velvet fabrics.

— Color palette: pastel shades (beige, blush, soft pink, champagne) – ideal for both everyday and festive looks.

— Diameter of each hair tie: 10 cm – suitable for both voluminous hairstyles and minimalist ponytails.

— Material: durable textile with reinforced elastic base that retains its shape even after prolonged use.

Why Will This Product Sell?
Trendy product: Hair accessories are consistently popular, especially in the "gift" category.

High profit margin: The wholesale cost of similar sets starts at $2-3, while on marketplaces they retail for $15-20.

Universal gift: Suitable for women of all ages – a practical and stylish item.

Target Audience:
Women aged 25-45, interested in fashion and beauty.
Shoppers looking for gifts (especially during the holiday season).
Parents of teenagers, wanting to surprise their kids with stylish accessories.

How to Promote It?
Keywords for marketplaces: "hair ties," "hair set," "gift for her," "hair accessories."

Advertising: Run targeted ads on Instagram and TikTok for women aged 25-34.

Holiday promotions: Offer beautiful gift packaging + a "2 sets for the price of 1" deal to boost sales.

Sales Forecast
At a selling price of $18 per set (compared to competitors) and a purchasing cost of $3, the profit margin will be $15 per unit. Selling just 50 sets per month would bring you $750 in net profit.
Link to the product on Etsy

The court in Russia has banned access to the online store Shein due to the sale of LGBT bracelets.

The Central District Court of Tula restricted access to the Shein website following a lawsuit filed by Roskomnadzor. The lawsuit was triggered by the sale of bracelets with LGBT symbols ("the international LGBT movement" is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia).

Specifically, the court ruling mentions the sale of bracelets on the platform. "When entering 'LGBT BRACELET' in the search bar, one is redirected to a page displaying a range of products containing LGBT symbols ('the international LGBT movement' is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia)," the document states. The court act specifies that any user, "including a minor," can purchase the product and order its delivery.

As of January 9, the store's website has not been blocked in Russia and is not listed in Roskomnadzor's registry of blocked pages.

How Amazon is helping communities across LA County.

Amazon has been working with first responders, non-profit partners and humanitarian relief agencies on the ground in Los Angeles including the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Dream Center, International Medical Corps, World Central Kitchen, among others.

Amazon leveraging our recently opened Wildfire Relief Hub—located two hours east of LA and stocked with over 6,000 essential items—as well as logistics infrastructure and technology, to deliver essential items to these organizations based on their needs. In addition to the Wildfire Relief Hub, we’ve also shipped Amazon-donated items from across our supply chain network in LA county.

The thousands of vital supplies and items Amazon delivering include:

📍 Wildfire mitigation equipment such as axes, goggles, masks, rakes, shovels, smoke pumps, soil sifters, and shelter kits.
📍 Personal supplies crucial for those who are going back to their communities including fire-safe rubber boots, high-particulate-matter filtration respirators, hydration packets, neck gaiters, specialized gloves, and trauma kits.
📍 Water, baby food, canned and dry goods, pet food, and other critical supplies.

In 2024, the share of Chinese sellers on the Amazon platform exceeded 50%, while American sellers accounted for about 45%.

This information was confirmed in the company's annual report. In November 2024, Amazon introduced a new section called "Amazon Haul" aimed at selling low-cost products directly from Chinese sellers. The move is aimed at competing with platforms such as Temu and Shein, which offer budget products.

A mother in China has sparked safety concerns by hiring a delivery rider to take her child to school, inspiring other parents to follow suit.

In early December, a woman from Guangxi, southern China, shared online that she found winter mornings too cold to get out of bed, so she hired a delivery rider to take her child to school at 6:30am.

“What a clever idea! Taking kids and delivering packages is basically the same thing as long as they arrive safely,” said one online supporter of her actions.
The Post has found that other parents are embracing this “hassle-free” approach to the school run.

A woman surnamed Zheng from Henan province in central China shared online that her overnight work leaves her too tired to take her child to school, so she often hires delivery riders instead.

Shanghai investigates 47 'Russian Goods Stores', some ordered to close.

In recent months, "Russian Goods Stores" have sprung up across many cities in China. To address growing concerns, the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation announced that it has conducted two rounds of inspections since late December 2024.

Authorities have identified 47 such stores in Shanghai. Inspections focused on business qualifications, promotional signage, and the origin of goods. Several stores were found to operate without proper licenses or registrations and have been ordered to close.

Some have falsely advertised themselves as "National Pavilions," misleading consumers into believing they had an official endorsement. Others had a low proportion of actual Russian imports but still marketed themselves as "Russian Goods Stores," raising concerns about deceptive practices.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has yet to conquer space.

The private space company Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has canceled the launch of its rocket due to a technical issue. This was announced on the company’s page on the social network X.

According to Blue Origin, the launch was halted to address an issue with the spacecraft's subsystem.

"We are exploring options for the next launch attempt," the company stated in its announcement.

Adidas has unveiled its first AI-generated clip titled "Time to Blossom."

How the Shein marketplace saved approximately 20,000 Tons of Water.

In 2024, online retailer Shein produced 90% of its denim products using Cool Transfer Denim digital printing technology, which allowed the company to reduce water and energy consumption during production, reports Fashion Dive.

The Cool Transfer Denim technology utilizes a digital printer to instantly replicate specific textures on denim fabric, reducing water usage by 70.5%. Shein uses this method to manufacture denim products with retro effects. The company, in collaboration with NTX, first introduced Cool Transfer Denim technology in 2022. Over the past few years, Shein has saved approximately 19,500 tons of water through this approach.

The online retailer also highlighted that this method minimizes the risk of workers being exposed to harmful substances typically used in traditional denim production. Shein positions its denim printing technology as part of its strategy to "accelerate changes in manufacturing processes, improve resource efficiency, and promote innovation in fashion."

The founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, announced new developer contest.

Telegram and TON Core have announced a new developer contest with a generous prize pool of $200,000.

Outstanding participants will have the chance to join the Telegram or TON Core teams. Additionally, their contest code might be used to enhance the TON blockchain itself.

Alibaba sells former Auchan hypermarkets.

Chinese retail giant Alibaba continues its withdrawal from physical stores: after just five years, it is already selling hypermarket group Sun Art at a loss of 1.5 billion euros. Last month, the group had already sold its department store chain Intime, incurring a further loss of 1.2 billion euros.

When Alibaba bought department store group Sun Art from Auchan in 2020, it offered the Chinese e-commerce giant the chance to diversify to physical stores as the French group – in the midst of the Covid crisis – decided to withdraw from the Chinese market. Now, however, the tables have turned and Alibaba is selling the 466 hypermarkets and some department stores on to Chinese investment group DCP Capital.

On Inauguration Day, Trump Will Sign Executive Orders on Cryptocurrencies.

This was reported by The Washington Post. The executive orders will address the issue of cryptocurrency companies being cut off from banking services and review policies on cryptocurrency accounting.

The industry has repeatedly accused the Biden administration of pressuring banks to restrict access to financial services for cryptocurrency companies.

Particular attention is being given to overturning the SEC's requirement to classify crypto assets as liabilities, which was introduced in March 2022.

According to Reuters, representatives of the crypto industry are actively pushing for these executive orders to be issued within the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency.