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TikTok Developing New U.S. App Version Ahead of Expected Sale, Report Says

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TikTok is reportedly building a new version of its app for U.S. users in anticipation of a planned sale to a group of investors, according to a report by The Information on Sunday citing unnamed sources.

Summary:

  • New U.S. App Launch:
    TikTok aims to launch the new app on U.S. app stores by September 5. Users will eventually need to download this new version to continue accessing the service, although the current app is expected to function until March next year. This timeline may be subject to change.

  • Background on Sale:
    The move comes amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement last Friday that talks with China regarding a possible TikTok deal would begin early this week. Trump stated the U.S. “pretty much” has a deal in place for the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations.

  • Deadline Extension:
    Trump had extended ByteDance’s deadline to divest TikTok’s U.S. assets to September 17. Earlier efforts to spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a U.S.-based company majority-owned by American investors stalled after China expressed disapproval, partly due to escalating U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.

  • Approval Needed:
    Trump acknowledged that any deal would likely require approval from China. TikTok and ByteDance have not commented on the report, and Reuters could not independently verify the information.

Trump Announces Upcoming Talks with China on TikTok Deal

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U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that talks with China regarding a possible TikTok deal will begin early next week, with discussions likely on Monday or Tuesday.

Summary:

  • Trump said the U.S. “pretty much” has a deal for the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations.

  • The talks could involve Chinese President Xi Jinping or his representatives.

  • Last month, Trump extended the deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to divest its U.S. assets to September 17.

  • Earlier plans to spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a majority U.S.-owned company stalled after China indicated it might not approve the deal amid escalating U.S.-China tariff tensions.

  • Trump expressed cautious optimism about the deal being approved by China, citing a positive personal relationship with President Xi.

  • He emphasized that the deal would be beneficial for both countries.

Baidu Unveils AI Video Generator and Major Search Engine Upgrade

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China’s Baidu (9888.HK) on Wednesday launched MuseSteamer, an AI-powered video generator designed specifically for business users, alongside a significant upgrade to its search engine features. MuseSteamer can produce videos up to 10 seconds long and is offered in three versions: Turbo, Pro, and Lite.

Over the last year, AI leaders like OpenAI and global tech giants have expanded beyond chatbots into text-to-video and image-to-video generation. In China, competitors including ByteDance, Tencent (0700.HK), and Alibaba (9988.HK) have also released similar models. Unlike many rivals such as OpenAI’s Sora that target consumers with subscription plans, Baidu’s MuseSteamer is currently focused solely on business users, with no consumer app available yet.

The search engine overhaul features a redesigned search box supporting longer queries, voice and image searches, and displays more relevant content powered by Baidu’s AI technology.

Baidu faces rising competition as AI chatbots like ByteDance’s Doubao and Tencent’s Yuanbao gain popularity in the Chinese market.