China's 'new normal' - a bit too much like the old normal

 The ashes were delivered within two days of the death. No autopsy for the 44-year-old tycoon whose flamboyant career had culminated in a spectacular political scandal and corruption trial. But Xu Ming was due for release within months and he had recently told friends he was in excellent condition. So when the man who knew so much about the murky connections between China's political and business elite suddenly died of a reported heart attack on a prison toilet, rumours swirled. News of his death was suppressed in official media. But on social media, another billionaire commented. "In the eyes of a government official, we are nothing but a cockroach. If he wants to kill you, he can; if he wants to keep you alive, he can." 2015 was a year in which many of China's high profile businesspeople might have agreed that they enjoyed the trappings of power and wealth only at the whim of the authorities. "Why would the government want to target me?… I believe in the future of China. I believe in the Party's reform policy."

Xiaomi Mi 5 to have the fastest and smallest fingerprint sensor

 The leaks revolving around Xiaomi Mi 5 just refuse to die. Thanks to these leaks, we already have a good idea of the specifications that this phone will have and how it will look like. Today, we got another glimpse of what the device will look like, thanks to more purported photos of the Mi 5 that have surfaced online. There is no way to confirm whether these are real renders of the phone, but these images are not in sync with the one of the recently leaked pictures. The current photo features front of the smartphone. We can see that there is a small home button on the front. It is expected that this button will double up as a fingerprint scanner. As per the leak, this will indeed be the smallest and fastest fingerprint sensor on a smartphone. The Mi 5 was originally expected to be released by September this year, but the device was a no show at IFA. There were multiple possible release dates after that, but the device never really saw the light of the day. The latest rumours are suggesting that the phone might launch on January 21, 2016 but given the recent track record, we would not have our hopes high.