1. Beijing

Tech auction planned

More than 300 patents will be auctioned in October at the China Technology Exchange, some of which will have a starting bid of zero. All the patents are in the field of consumer electronics and have good prospects for commercial applications, said Li Zhonghua, the exchange's chief executive assistant. They include remote electric outlets, smart gloves for traffic conductors, and energy efficient televisions. Patent owners are mostly Chinese electronic giants such as Huawei and TCL, as well as universities and research institutions.