■ Mobile Phones
LG develops TV handset
South Korea's LG Electronics Inc announced yesterday that it has developed the world's first mobile handset capable of receiving terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasts (DMB). The group said it had resolved problems surrounding the bulky terminal size and power consumption of previous terrestrial DMB terminals, which lacked mobile phone functions. "This terrestrial DMB phone has opened up a new world where people can watch terrestrial DMB TV and simultaneously speak via a mobile phone," said Woo Paik, chief technology officer of LG Electronics. LG Electronics built a standard home TV antenna function into the new phone to receive broadband DMB.
■ Computers
Dell sees growth in Asia
Dell Inc, the world's biggest manufacturer of personal computers, expects its PC sales in Asia to continue to grow at about 25 percent as consumers replace desktop models and the market expands in China. "We feel like there's momentum going forward," said Bill Amelio, a senior vice president who oversees the Asia Pacific region for Dell. "We see corporate demand going extremely well. Across the region we haven't seen any real soft spots." Dell ranked fourth in PC shipments in the Asia Pacific outside Japan -- following Lenovo Group Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Co and International Business Machines Corp -- in the third quarter this year compared with a year earlier, according to a report published by market researcher IDC Corp.
■ Credit Cards
American Express sues
American Express on Monday presented a multi-billion suit against credit card giants Visa and Mastercard whom it accused of colluding to prevent banks from offering its famous green charge card. The suit stems from the US Supreme Court's decision upholding the government's antitrust lawsuit against Visa and MasterCard for limiting competition in the US credit card market. The suit filed in US District Court in Manhattan alleges Visa and MasterCard blocked development of new products that had ultimately hurt consumers and kept American Express from building a network among banks for eight years. American Express also named several banks in the suit that had executives sitting on the boards of Visa or MasterCard during the period in question. The banks include JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Capital One, US Bancorp, Wells Fargo, and Providian National Bank.
■ Aerospace
Boeing to offer 777 freighter
Boeing Co, responding to what it sees as improving world economic conditions, will offer a cargo version of its long-range, twin-engine 777 airplane beginning in late 2008. The Chicago-based aerospace company said Monday that it already had interest from several customers for the freighter version of the 777, but it declined to name those customers. Executives at Boeing said on Monday that the firm sees growing strength in the world economy and demand for cargo transport. Tom Crabtree, Boeing's regional cargo marketing director, said that he expects demand to be particularly strong in Asia. The announcement comes 14 years after the launch of the passenger version of the 777. The freighter version will be based on the 777-200LR, a longer range version of the 777.
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
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