Media
Disney's Eisner to resign
The Walt Disney chief executive officer Michal Eisner said he plans to resign in 2006 after two decades at the front of the media giant, in an interview published yesterday by The Wall Street Journal. Eisner, 62, said his decision, which the daily said was expected to be announced yesterday, had nothing to do with Disney's crises. It was "not asked for, not motivated by current circumstances at all," he said. The decision, which coincides with his 20th anniversary at Disney, satisfies both his personal and professional interests, he said. "I want to position the company for the future," he told the economic daily. "I want to ensure that the company continues its strong cultural direction and fiscal direction. I have great affection for the company."
Telecoms
Motorola plans R&D center
Motorola Inc, the world's second-biggest mobile-phone maker, plans to invest US$90 million in a new research and development center in China, expanding to meet rising demand in the world's biggest wireless market by users. The 55,000m2 campus, in the Chaoyang district of Beijing, is scheduled for completion by 2006 and will house Motorola's existing 3,000 employees in the Chinese capital, Motorola China president Daniel Shih said at a press briefing. Motorola and bigger rival Nokia Oyj have regained market share from domestic handset makers by introducing new models developed specifically for the Chinese market, the Financial Times reported on Aug. 24. Engineers working at the Beijing campus will focus on designing mobile phones and wireless software such as voice-activated technology, Shih said.
Internet
Some Sina services stopped
Sina Corp, one of China's top three Internet companies, said China Mobile Communications Corp suspended some of its services after it and other wireless-service providers violated rules. China Mobile sent Sina a notice of sanction for "inappropriate content" and unauthorized expansion of its interactive voice response services, which allow people to access databases using touch-tone telephones, Shanghai-based Sina said in a statement. China Mobile is imposing penalties and sanctions on 27 wireless service providers for rule violations, Sina said. Sina received verbal notification of the sanction last month and recently was notified in writing, spokeswoman Denise Roche said.
Electronics
EDS could cut more jobs
Electronic Data Systems Corp could cut 15,000 to 20,000 jobs -- 10 percent of its work force -- over about two years to help reduce costs by about US$3 billion, chief executive Michael Jordan said on Thursday. "The next two years, there are going to be a lot of change in EDS," Jordan said at an investor conference in New York. "But that will, as I said, take 20 percent out of our cost structure -- US$3 billion out. That's the way you do it." EDS runs computer systems for other companies. It has struggled with money-losing contracts, a downturn in corporate technology spending and debt downgrades. The company has made most of the 5,200 job cuts announced last year, and has 120,000 employees remaining. Jordan has said the company is trying to improve productivity to reduce the cost it charges for its services, making its offers more competitive with rivals such as IBM.
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
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
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