■Computers
ITunes gives Apple a boost
Apple Computer Inc's iTunes music technology for downloading music has proven a hit with consumers, though the company must still focus on increasing sales of its computers, Barron's said, citing analysts. More than 2 million songs were downloaded in the first 16 days of iTunes, Barron's said, citing Apple, and the company may see as much as US$625 million in gross profits from the service. Apple's success may hinge on whether iTunes can help bring consumers back to the company's computers, Andy Neff, a Bear Stearns & Co analyst, told the weekly newspaper. Apple sold 715,000 computers in the first quarter, 12 percent less than last year, Barron's said. Cupertino, California-based Apple may consider shifting to Intel Corp micro-processors from Motorola's Power PC processors to offer cheaper, faster hardware, Neff told Barron's. The change may come later this year or early next year, Neff said.
■ Electronics
Sanyo to cut LCD production
Sanyo Electric Co, a Japanese appliance maker, will cut LCD panel production capacity 60 percent by next spring, because of increasing competition and falling prices, the Tokyo Shimbun reported. Sanyo manu-factures the panels at a plant in Tottori Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo on the Japan Sea coast. The plant can produce 380,000 13.3-inch panels and 160,000 15-inch panels a month, the newspaper said. The company will replace the 13.3-inch LCD panel line with one for production of circuit boards for organic electro- luminescent display panels, the newspaper said, citing an unidentified company official. Sanyo Electric and Eastman Kodak Co were the first commercial suppliers of organic electro-luminescent color flat screens.
■ Computers
Dell keeps winning
Dell Computer Corp, the world's second-largest maker of personal computers, will take market share at the same ratethis year as last, President Kevin Rollins said on Channel Nine television in Sydney. Cost cuts and lower prices will help the company, Rollins said. Dell has been winning market share from rivals such as Hewlett-Packard Co and Gateway Inc. Dell claimed a 16.9 percent market share in the calendar first quarter, compared with Hewlett-Packard's 15.6 percent, according to Dataquest Inc. The company plans to cut costs by US$1.5 billion this year, after reducing costs by "a little over" US$1 billion in the past year, Rollins said.
■ Auctions
Virgin auction canceled
A philosophy student took her virginity off the auction block after an anonymous benefactor lent her the tuition money she lacked. "Sandy," 21, told the W radio network by telephone that a sympathetic woman had lent her US$2,800. She expressed relief at with-drawing her virginity from the Internet auction she had announced last week. She said a week ago that bidding would open at US$1,000. However, she said, a woman had offered to lend her nearly three times that amount, without conditions. "She understood me more than others and decided to help me because she has a daughter like me," she said. The student turned down a potential buyer who had offered still more money. She insisted she was not a prostitute. Rather, giving up her virginity was the only way to defray her tuition, she said.
Agencies
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned