COFFEE
Odd Starbucks hits record
A container renovated into a Starbucks in Hualien Bay (洄瀾灣) on Wednesday posted revenue of NT$1.97 million (US$64,375) on its first day of operation, a record high for any outlet in Taiwan, Taiwan Land Development Corp (TLDC, 台灣土地開發) said yesterday. There are 450 Starbucks outlets nationwide. Nearly 2,000 customers visited the store in Hualien County, which operators hope will become a popular check-in spot for people commuting between Hualien and Taitung, the Taipei-based developer said. The 89 ping (294m2) coffee shop contains 89 seats, TLDC said. Turning an old container into a coffee shop is in line with efforts to promote an eco-friendly economy, TLDC said.
TRANSPORTATION
New way to buy rail tickets
A new option to pick up high-speed rail tickets at convenience stores became available yesterday through the “T Express” app, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSR, 台灣高鐵) said. T Express, THSR’s official mobile booking system, was launched in 2011. A new feature enables passengers to make online reservations on the app, instead of having to wait in line at a ticket counter or use an automated ticket machine, the company said. Customers can now pay and receive their tickets at 7-Eleven stores using a barcode sent after making a booking on T Express, it said. Other partnering convenience store chains would be announced at a later date, THSR added.
EQUITIES
TAIEX closes up 0.55%
The TAIEX closed above 11,000 points yesterday, despite an interest rate hike in the US and Wall Street’s overnight decline. The TAIEX closed up 0.55 percent at 11,034.19 on turnover of NT$122.88 billion. All the major categories gained ground except for the food sector, which fell 0.46 percent, and the textile segment, which lost 0.04 percent. The bellwether electronics index ended 0.37 percent higher, while the financial index surged 0.78 percent. Among the major electronics stocks, contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), the most heavily weighted stock on the local market, gained 0.57 percent to close at NT$265, while Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), an assembler of iPhones and iPads, closed up 1.8 percent at NT$78.7. Largan Precision Co (大立光), a smartphone camera lens supplier to Apple, finished 0.27 percent higher at NT$3,780.
TRANSPORTATION
Germany keen to cooperate
Germany and Taiwan could be partners in the development of smart transportation, since both sides are venturing into the market and have many resources to share, German Trade Office Taipei Executive Director Axel Limberg said ahead of a seminar on Wednesday about how smart mobility is applied in the two nations. New technologies and concepts related to smart mobility have the potential to make urban traffic more efficient, reduce congestion and improve air quality, Limberg said. There is great potential for cooperation between Taiwan and Germany to make smarter mobility a reality, he added. Smart mobility and transportation systems are expected to generate more than 8 billion euros (US$9.35 billion) in value for related industries in Taiwan by 2020, the office said. Likewise, the German Federal Government has provided funding of almost 5 billion euros for electric mobility since 2009 and has established a regulatory framework to benefit development, it said.
Intel Corp chief executive officer Lip-Bu Tan (陳立武) is expected to meet with Taiwanese suppliers next month in conjunction with the opening of the Computex Taipei trade show, supply chain sources said on Monday. The visit, the first for Tan to Taiwan since assuming his new post last month, would be aimed at enhancing Intel’s ties with suppliers in Taiwan as he attempts to help turn around the struggling US chipmaker, the sources said. Tan is to hold a banquet to celebrate Intel’s 40-year presence in Taiwan before Computex opens on May 20 and invite dozens of Taiwanese suppliers to exchange views
Application-specific integrated circuit designer Faraday Technology Corp (智原) yesterday said that although revenue this quarter would decline 30 percent from last quarter, it retained its full-year forecast of revenue growth of 100 percent. The company attributed the quarterly drop to a slowdown in customers’ production of chips using Faraday’s advanced packaging technology. The company is still confident about its revenue growth this year, given its strong “design-win” — or the projects it won to help customers design their chips, Faraday president Steve Wang (王國雍) told an online earnings conference. “The design-win this year is better than we expected. We believe we will win
Quanta Computer Inc (廣達) chairman Barry Lam (林百里) is expected to share his views about the artificial intelligence (AI) industry’s prospects during his speech at the company’s 37th anniversary ceremony, as AI servers have become a new growth engine for the equipment manufacturing service provider. Lam’s speech is much anticipated, as Quanta has risen as one of the world’s major AI server suppliers. The company reported a 30 percent year-on-year growth in consolidated revenue to NT$1.41 trillion (US$43.35 billion) last year, thanks to fast-growing demand for servers, especially those with AI capabilities. The company told investors in November last year that
Power supply and electronic components maker Delta Electronics Inc (台達電) yesterday said it plans to ship its new 1 megawatt charging systems for electric trucks and buses in the first half of next year at the earliest. The new charging piles, which deliver up to 1 megawatt of charging power, are designed for heavy-duty electric vehicles, and support a maximum current of 1,500 amperes and output of 1,250 volts, Delta said in a news release. “If everything goes smoothly, we could begin shipping those new charging systems as early as in the first half of next year,” a company official said. The new
RSS