■ 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.
‘WIN-WIN’: The Philippines, and central and eastern European countries are important potential drone cooperation partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in an interview published yesterday confirmed that there are joint ventures between Taiwan and Poland in the drone industry. Lin made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The government-backed Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems on Wednesday last week signed a memorandum of understanding in Poland to develop a “non-China” supply chain for drones and work together on key technologies. Asked if Taiwan prioritized Poland among central and eastern European countries in drone collaboration, Lin
The Chien Feng IV (勁蜂, Mighty Hornet) loitering munition is on track to enter flight tests next month in connection with potential adoption by Taiwanese and US armed forces, a government source said yesterday. The kamikaze drone, which boasts a range of 1,000km, debuted at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition in September, the official said on condition of anonymity. The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology and US-based Kratos Defense jointly developed the platform by leveraging the engine and airframe of the latter’s MQM-178 Firejet target drone, they said. The uncrewed aerial vehicle is designed to utilize an artificial intelligence computer
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday decided to shelve proposed legislation that would give elected officials full control over their stipends, saying it would wait for a consensus to be reached before acting. KMT Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍) last week proposed amendments to the Organic Act of the Legislative Yuan (立法院組織法) and the Regulations on Allowances for Elected Representatives and Subsidies for Village Chiefs (地方民意代表費用支給及村里長事務補助費補助條例), which would give legislators and councilors the freedom to use their allowances without providing invoices for reimbursement. The proposal immediately drew criticism, amid reports that several legislators face possible charges of embezzling fees intended to pay
REQUIREMENTS: The US defense secretary must submit a Taiwan security assistance road map and an appraisal of Washington’s ability to respond to Indo-Pacific conflict The US Congress has released a new draft of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes up to US$1 billion in funding for Taiwan-related security cooperation next year. The version published on Sunday by US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson removed earlier language that would have invited Taiwan to participate in the US-led Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC). A statement on Johnson’s Web page said the NDAA “enhances U.S. defense initiatives in the Indo-Pacific to bolster Taiwan’s defense and support Indo-Pacific allies.” The bill would require the US secretary of defense to “enable fielding of uncrewed and anti-uncrewed systems capabilities”
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