Fans of MP3 players might find it frustrating when the batteries run out in the middle of listening to their favorite tunes. Help is at hand, however, as a local company has produced a solution to battery-life problems, which it will unveil at the CeBIT technology and communications trade show next week in Hanover, Germany.
Micro-Star International Co (
"There are just too many MP3 players available on the market presently, and with Apple's iPods taking the market by storm, we have to make our products stand out somehow," Vincent Lai (
The prototype MP3 player will have a small solar cell that supplies power the unit. This will come in handy as a support option in addition to the standard electrical charging mechanism, he said.
In the near future, the company has plans to produce MP3 players that run entirely on solar power, replacing electricity altogether, added Ryan Yang (
The new MP3 player, whose production costs will be 10 percent higher than other players in the same category, is expected to come with a 1.8-inch liquid-crystal-display screen and hard drive options of 4GB and 8GB.
"The prototype will make its debut at the CeBIT show in Germany next week, and depending on the response and the number of orders, we intend to introduce it locally around the middle of this year. Production will start on a small scale initially," Yang said.
MP3 players are not the first Micro-Star product to make use of solar energy, as the company has previously experimented with using it on portable computers, which were unveiled in January at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The second-generation of notebooks now come with a separate, modular solar cell instead of a bulky attached cell, which will make the battery recharging easier and increase performance, according to Lai.
However, the notebooks are still in the "concept product" stage, and they are not expected to be mass produced in the near term until the technology is more mature, he added.
In a bid to diversify the company's business portfolio, the motherboard maker started to tap into the consumer electronics segment in 2003, unveiling MP3 players, portable media players and notebooks.
The segment now contributes over 10 percent to the company's total revenues and the percentage is expected to pass the 20 percent mark sometime this year, Lai said.
Motherboards and graphics cards still make up the bulk of revenues contribution at over 60 percent, he added.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
The number of births in Taiwan fell to an all-time monthly low last month, while the population declined for the 16th consecutive month, Ministry of the Interior data released on Friday showed. The number of newborns totaled 8,684, which is 704 births fewer than in March and the lowest monthly figure on record, the ministry said. That is equivalent to roughly one baby born every five minutes and an annual crude birthrate of 4.52 per 1,000 people, the ministry added. Meanwhile, 17,205 deaths were recorded, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,521, the data showed. More people are also leaving Taiwan, with net
RSS