■ Science
Cells grafted to chips
Rat cells grown onto microscopic silicon chips worked as tiny robots, perhaps a first step towards a self-assembling device, researchers working in the US reported on Sunday. They described a new method for attaching living cells to silicon chips. They then got the combined entities to move like tiny, primitive legs. Writing in the journal Nature Materials, Jianzhong Xi, Jacob Schmidt and Carlo Montemagno of the University of California Los Angeles said it is possible to make such devices, starting with a single cell "seeded" on a specially treated silicon chip. It may eventually be possible to grow self-assembling machines using the method, they said.
■ Electronics
Intel to launch new chipset
Intel Corp, the world's biggest computer-chip maker, will unveil a new chipset tomorrow, its biggest launch since Centrino in 2003, The Business reported, citing an unidentified person at Intel. Intel will reveal details of a new generation of personal computers and pocked-sized consumer devices from 50 manufacturers across the world, all strengthened by the new chipset, codenamed Sonoma, the newspaper said. The chips will provide much faster wireless Internet connection than the Centrino chips, the newspaper reported.
■ Retail
Tesco to try non-food store
Tesco, Britain's biggest supermarket chain, said on Sunday that it planned to trial a non-food store later this year. The retailer, which already sells non-food items including clothes, electrical goods, CDs, DVDs, books and children's toys at a number of its British outlets, said it was too early to confirm the trial shop's opening date or location. "We will trial a non-food store at some point this year," a Tesco spokeswoman said. "Our non-food ranges are really popular and this is just an example of us doing what customers want and trialling new things," she added.
■ Telecoms
Japan, India to cooperate
Japan and India plan to boost cooperation on developing next-generation telecom-munications networks, a Japanese government official said yesterday. The two countries will focus on networks using Internet technology and high-speed fourth-generation mobile phones, the communications ministry official said. Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Taro Aso has invited Indian Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran to Japan to discuss details of bilateral cooperation, he said. "We are preparing for the signing of a joint declaration by them," the official said. The ministers are scheduled to meet in Tokyo today.
■ Servers
HP to use Intel processors
Hewlett-Packard Co, the second-largest maker of servers, will sell new computers based on Intel Corp's Itanium processors in a push to replace machines made by IBM Corp and Sun Microsystems Inc. Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina will announce new versions of the Integrity series computers tomorrow that offer features from more expensive mainframe computers, said Rich Marcello, Hewlett-Packard's head of business server computers. Hewlett-Packard had 28 percent of the market for server computers in the third quarter, according to researcher Gartner Inc, trailing IBM's 32 percent.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from