INTERNET
China launches online map
China has launched an official online mapping service as US Internet giant Google continues to hold out on applying for a license to provide a similar service in the country, state media said yesterday. The government-backed service Map World is free and allows users to search for two and three-dimensional images across the globe, the China Daily said. The new rules require foreign firms wanting to provide mapping and surveying services in China to set up joint ventures or partnerships with local firms and keep servers in the country. Google has not yet applied for a license, the report said, even though the surveying and mapping bureau has said it may set a deadline for applications and those who fail to do so by then could have their service shut down.
TELECOMS
Ericsson profits jump
Telephone equipment manufacturer Ericsson yesterday reported a sharp rise in net profits to 3.68 billion kronor (US$553 million) in the third quarter, exceeding expectations. Its turnover increased 2 percent to 47.5 billion kronor, slightly below analysts’ forecasts of 47.7 billion kronor, Dow Jones reported. The world leader in its field, Ericsson said its year-on-year performance was good, factoring in the costs of recent major structural reorganization and lower sales during the economic crisis.
ELECTRONICS
Sony calls Move a hit
Sony Computer Entertainment America on Thursday said that it has a hit on its hands with its new Move motion-sensing controllers for PlayStation 3 videogame consoles. Sony reported that it sold more than 1 million Move devices in North and Latin America in the 30 days after it hit the market last month. Sony combines Move controllers with Eye cameras and a videogame in bundles sold for US$99.99. Adding a PS3 console to that bundle raises the price to US$399.99.
AUTOMOBILES
Hyundai joins Chinese firm
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co yesterday announced a tie-up with a Chinese company to produce commercial vehicles in China as it seeks to build on its reputation for passenger cars in the world’s largest auto market. The largest South Korean automaker signed a memorandum of understanding with Ziyang Nanjun Automobile Co (南駿汽車) that will see a joint investment of 500 billion won (US$440 million). Hyundai and Nanjun will establish a number of joint projects to produce and sell trucks, buses and engines, as well as to develop new models and provide follow-up services, Hyundai Motor said in a press statement. Through the joint venture, Hyundai hopes to sell about 90,000 commercial vehicles next year, rising to 300,000 by 2015, representing a 5 percent share of China’s commercial vehicle market, it said.
COMPUTERS
SanDisk profit beats forecast
SanDisk Corp beat profit and margin expectations by reining in costs and keeping prices stable, and foresees a surge in demand next year as more consumers opt for smartphones and tablets. Shares in the flash memory maker rose 5 percent despite a current-quarter outlook just below Wall Street’s targets. The company predicted surging demand for mobile devices like Apple’s iPad for the holidays and into next year. The company on Thursday reported net income of US$322.1 million, or US$1.34 cents a share, in the third quarter ending on Oct. 3, up from US$231.3 million, or US$0.99 a share, in the year-ago period.
Among the rows of vibrators, rubber torsos and leather harnesses at a Chinese sex toys exhibition in Shanghai this weekend, the beginnings of an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven shift in the industry quietly pulsed. China manufactures about 70 percent of the world’s sex toys, most of it the “hardware” on display at the fair — whether that be technicolor tentacled dildos or hyper-realistic personalized silicone dolls. Yet smart toys have been rising in popularity for some time. Many major European and US brands already offer tech-enhanced products that can enable long-distance love, monitor well-being and even bring people one step closer to
Malaysia’s leader yesterday announced plans to build a massive semiconductor design park, aiming to boost the Southeast Asian nation’s role in the global chip industry. A prominent player in the semiconductor industry for decades, Malaysia accounts for an estimated 13 percent of global back-end manufacturing, according to German tech giant Bosch. Now it wants to go beyond production and emerge as a chip design powerhouse too, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. “I am pleased to announce the largest IC (integrated circuit) Design Park in Southeast Asia, that will house world-class anchor tenants and collaborate with global companies such as Arm [Holdings PLC],”
TRANSFORMATION: Taiwan is now home to the largest Google hardware research and development center outside of the US, thanks to the nation’s economic policies President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday attended an event marking the opening of Google’s second hardware research and development (R&D) office in Taiwan, which was held at New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋). This signals Taiwan’s transformation into the world’s largest Google hardware research and development center outside of the US, validating the nation’s economic policy in the past eight years, she said. The “five plus two” innovative industries policy, “six core strategic industries” initiative and infrastructure projects have grown the national industry and established resilient supply chains that withstood the COVID-19 pandemic, Tsai said. Taiwan has improved investment conditions of the domestic economy
Sales in the retail, and food and beverage sectors last month continued to rise, increasing 0.7 percent and 13.6 percent respectively from a year earlier, setting record highs for the month of March, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. Sales in the wholesale sector also grew last month by 4.6 annually, mainly due to the business opportunities for emerging applications related to artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing technologies, the ministry said in a report. The ministry forecast that retail, and food and beverage sales this month would retain their growth momentum as the former would benefit from Tomb Sweeping Day