Author: peterjang73

China’s Singles Day has smashed records yet again.

The total value of orders reported by e-commerce giant Alibaba during this year’s online shopping bonanza hit $17.8 billion, easily topping the previous record of $14.3 billion set in 2015. That’s more than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.

Here are some of the other jaw-dropping numbers from the online shopping festival:

$1 billion

In just the first five minutes of this year’s festival, crazed shoppers spent more than $1 billion.

Related: World’s biggest shopping bonanza sets new record

115 million

In 2015, more than 115 million shoppers placed orders with Alibaba on Singles Day.

80%

Alibaba and rival e-commerce site JD.com (JD) said more than 80% of Single Day transactions took place on a mobile phone this year.

16,000

Alibaba launched its Singles Day sale in 2009 with 27 merchants. Now more than 16,000 brands participate. Burberry (BBRYF), Apple (AAPL, Tech30) and Victoria’s Secret made their debut this year, joining companies like Lululemon (LULU) and Gap (GPS).

650 million

Online shopping is nothing without a strong logistics network that can deliver packages to customers.

This year, Alibaba’s logistics arm Cainiao Network will use more than 1.7 million delivery personnel to pack and ship the 650 million delivery orders that were placed during the 24-hour buy fest.

100 million

More than 100 million viewers tuned into a 24-hour live show tied to the shopping festival in 2015. This year, Alibaba prompted people watching the show to open the company’s app and shake their phones to nab discounts and deals.

One

Ahead of the midnight start, Alibaba broadcast a three-hour gala that was part variety show, part MTV music awards. Former NBA star Kobe Bryant was this year’s headliner, after singer Katy Perry canceled at the last minute citing a family emergency.

CNNMoney (Shenzhen, China) First published November 11, 2016: 7:37 AM ET

If you’re reading this, you’re probably not dead. But Facebook might think you are.

Facebook (FB, Tech30) notified some users on Friday that they are deceased, according to widespread reports across social media.

Many people are seeing a banner on certain profiles that reads: “We hope people who love [Mark] will find comfort in the things others share to remember and celebrate his life.”

Not all profiles were affected — I’m still alive according to my pulse and Facebook. But at one point, even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was declared dead by his own social network.

It’s unclear what’s causing the mass obituaries, but it’s likely a bug in Facebook’s system.

The company did not immediately return a request for comment.

CNNMoney (San Francisco) First published November 11, 2016: 4:04 PM ET

Mario, Vault Boy and Mega Man have teamed up to kick off Pixel Pals, a new line of pixel art figures from peripheral maker PDP. They are obscenely collectible.

Just look at the first three, all lined up with their 2xAAA battery powered lamps going. Iconic characters from three of gaming’s greatest franchises, with the promise of more to come. Who’s next? Sonic? The dragon from Adventure? Red Mage?

Each Pixel Pal stands at I am guessing around four inches and change tall, and at nearly an inch deep they have no problem standing on their own.

My only wish is that these had some kind of AC adapter or USB power option, so I could keep them lit up at all times without worrying about running out of juice.

PDP’s Pixel Pals launch exclusively at GameStop, the toy store that also sells video games, on November 25, with a suggested retail price of $14.99 a piece. Vault Boy sums up my feelings on them quite succinctly.