Region Profile: Asia

Here is some weekend potpourri to ponder, covering a wide variety of global economic topics.

India's $35 Laptops

India develops world's cheapest "laptop" at $35

India has come up with the world's cheapest "laptop," a touch-screen computing device that costs $35. India's Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal this week unveiled the low-cost computing device that is designed for students, saying his department had started talks with global manufacturers to start mass production.

"We have reached a (developmental) stage that today, the motherboard, its chip, the processing, connectivity, all of them cumulatively cost around $35, including memory, display, everything," he told a news conference.

He said the touchscreen gadget was packed with Internet browsers, PDF reader and video conferencing facilities but its hardware was created.....

View Original Article on Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Earlier this month, I attended OpenWebAsia – South East Asia (South EAsia/a>) in Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia, a two-day tech and web industry event that attracted over 350 international attendees. The event shined a spotlight on a market that’s still largely overlooked: a whopping 600 million people live in South East Asia, which boasts a rapidly growing web and mobile population.

What follows is a short summary of just a few presentations, panel discussions, and startup demos I witnessed at OpenWebAsia (those with a focus on Asia only). I will update this article with more material once it becomes available (find the agendas for day one and two here and here.....

Below are the top 10 best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stocks for the past week.

China Natural Resources Inc. (NASDAQ:CHNR) is the 1st best-performing stock last week in this segment of the market. It was up 23.85% for the past week. Its price percentage change is -8.90% year-to-date. New Dragon Asia Corp. (AMEX:NWD) is the 2nd best-performing stock last week in this segment of the market. It was up 23.33% for the past week. Its price percentage change is -43.08% year-to-date. Hurray! Holding Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NA (ADRNASDAQ:HRAY) is the 3rd best-performing stock last week in this segment of the market. It was up 22.26% for the past week. Its price percentage change.....

Below is a ranking of U.S.-listed Chinese stocks based on latest monthly change in short interest.

Ranking  |  Company (Ticker)  |  Monthly Short Interest Change
1 Sino Clean Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:SCLX) 3045.7%
2 CDC Corporation (NASDAQ:CHINA) 3040.6%
3 Orient Paper Inc (NYSE:ONP) 738.7%

4 Recon Technology, Ltd. (NASDAQ:RCON) 557.8%
5 China GengSheng Minerals, Inc. (AMEX:CHGS) 527.9%
6 China Jo Jo Drugstores Inc (NASDAQ:CJJD) 351.6%
7 China Wind Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWS) 324.1%
8 Concord Medical Services Holding Ltd. (NYSE:CCM) 267.3%
9 Spreadtrum Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ.....

Companies like Sony, Honda and Canon are delivering surprisingly strong earnings. The picture is murkier elsewhere in Asia.

HONG KONG, July 30 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- NetDragon Websoft Inc. ("NetDragon"; Stock Code: 777), a leading online game developer and innovator in China, today announced that it has entered a brand licensing agreement with Hasbro, Inc., a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure