Lord of the ring tones? Mobile app war escalates

In the fight between Tencent and Alibaba for China's emerging mobile payment market, cab-calling services have become the surprise battlefield.

Smartphone apps Didi (Tencent) and KuaiDi (Alibaba) are competing for the business of the taxi-riding public.

Didi said last Tuesday that if passengers pay cabdrivers via WeChat (Tencent), they will get a subsidized 12 yuan ($1.90) discount.