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■ Aviation
CAL starts Sapporo service
China Airlines Ltd (CAL, 華航), the nation's largest carrier, opened regular flight service to Sapporo, Japan, yesterday, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at CKS International Airport. CAL will offer six flights per week on the Taipei-Sapporo route, and the company used a plane with lavender plants painted on its fuselage for the maiden flight to the Japanese city. The reopening of CAL's Taipei-Osaka flight service, five flights per week, was also marked in the ceremony after a hiatus of 32 years. A CAL plane whose fuselage is painted with popular Taiwan fruits made the maiden flight on the reopened route to Osaka.

■ Media
Jobs refuses Disney salary
Apple Computer Inc chief executive Steve Jobs has asked not to be paid the US$65,000 annual salary he is entitled to as the newest board member of The Walt Disney Co. Disney's board approved a modification of its director compensation policy to accommodate Jobs' request, according to a filing Disney made on Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Jobs joined Disney's board in May after Disney bought Pixar. Jobs became Disney's largest shareholder with 138 million shares, which valued his stake at US$3.9 billion when the deal closed.

■ Aviation
Fuji begins assembling 787
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd said on Friday that it had begun assembling the first major part of Boeing Co's new 787 airplane, which is scheduled to enter service in 2008. The Japanese company is building the center wing section of the airplane at a new factory in Handa, Japan. The mid-sized 787, dubbed the "Dreamliner," promises to be 20 percent more fuel efficient than similar airplanes currently on the market. Boeing is scheduled to deliver the first 787 to Japan's All Nippon Airways in mid-2008. Boeing said 28 airlines have already logged 403 orders for the plane.

■ Energy
Shell to build wind farm
Energy giant Shell Oil Co USA plans to build a US$200 million wind farm on the slopes of a 8,000-hectare ranch on the island of Maui. The wind farm's first phase is expected to be completed in 2008 with 20 turbines producing up to 40 megawatts of power. The plan is to then double the site's output with the completion of a second phase, which would use water pumped up hill during off-peak hours and later released downhill to turn turbines and help generate power during peak demand hours. Nearly 20 percent of the island's power will come from wind turbines once the project is complete, according to the farm.

■ Computers
Judge dismisses Go lawsuit
A federal judge has dismissed Go Computer Inc's antitrust case against Microsoft Corp. In a ruling on Thursday, US District Judge J. Frederick Motz in Maryland granted Microsoft's request that the lawsuit be dismissed because the antitrust claims are barred by the four-year statute of limitations. The lawsuit centered on allegations that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates set out in the early 1990s to discourage other companies from doing business with Go. The case was originally filed in federal court in California, but later moved to Maryland. Jerry Kaplan founded Go and, last year, reacquired the rights to sue on Go's behalf. The company developed technology that helped computers understand handwriting.

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