■ Computers
Apple movies to miss Asia
Apple Computer Inc's new iTunes movie service will not be available in much of Asia and there is no prospect of its roll-out in the near future, a company spokesman said yesterday. Fears of piracy, which is rampant in much of Asia, and a tangle over licensing agreements with record and movie companies means the world's fastest growing digital market has been shut out, said Tony Li, Apple's marketing director for Asia. In the Asia-Pacific region, iTunes is available only in Australia and Japan. Even in Japan, some labels have refused to allow their songs onto the service.
■ Chips
China debuts new chip
China has begun manufacturing its latest home-grown microprocessor, which boasts speeds of 1.0 gigahertz (GHz) and could significantly lower the cost of computers, state press reported yesterday. Speeds of 1GHz means that the 64-bit chip is capable of making 4.0 billion calculations per second. The chip, dubbed the Godson IIE, was produced by the Institute of Computer Technology under the state-run China Academy of Sciences, China Central Television reported. The chip is now in mass production and will hit the markets later this year for a price of about 1,000 yuan (US$125) each, the report said.
■ Internet
Lawyers seek Livedoor fine
Prosecutors yesterday demanded a £300 million (US$2.5 million) fine against the disgraced Japanese Internet startup Livedoor for a scam to inflate stock prices and doctor company books. In their closing arguments at Tokyo District Court, the prosecution also demanded a £50 million fine against the subsidiary Livedoor Marketing, according to a court official who spoke on customary condition of anonymity. The former company head, the young entrepreneur Takafumi Horie, is facing related charges in a separate trial.
■ Cellphones
Faster phone LCD touted
LG Philips LCD Co said yesterday it has developed the industry's first liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panel for next-generation mobile phones, allowing a clearer playback of video clips. The South Korean-Dutch joint venture said its new 5cm display would open the door to "exciting mobile entertainment possibilities." The display has a faster response time than existing ones, allowing it to play back sharp high-quality video from next-generation digital broadcasts and mobile communication technology, it said. The display's 16ms (millisecond) response time is 36 percent faster than the fastest TFT-LCD panels currently used for mobile phones, it said.
■ Automobiles
Honda in biofuel coup
Honda Motor Co has developed a way to make ethanol fuel from plant waste matter in a process that has the potential to expand the use of biofuels that fight global warming, the Japanese automaker said yesterday. Existing bio-ethanol production faces supply limits because it uses sugar and starch of sugarcane or from corn, both of which are also utilized as food. By tapping far greater supplies of inedible plant matter, such as stalks, leaves and rice straw, the new fuel takes a step toward making biofuels more practical, Tokyo-based Honda said in release. "Expansion of biomass utilization holds enormous potential as a major step toward the realization of an energy sustainable society," Honda said.
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