■ Software
Microsoft gets ultimatum
The EU has given software giant Microsoft eight days to submit the secret protocols of its Windows operating system to rivals or face the prospect of more fines, EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in an interview published in the Guardian newspaper yesterday. "I don't have eternal life," Kroes said. "I am not impressed if someone says 90 percent of the information is already there when we need 100 percent. It's a jigsaw and some parts are missing ... In my opinion, this information should have been here a couple of months ago."
■ Internet
Ad sales hit new high
Internet advertising in the US reached a new high of US$4.2 billion in the third quarter, marking the eighth consecutive quarter of growth, according to a study released on Tuesday by Pricewaterhouse-Coopers. It conducted the quarterly online ad study for the Interactive Advertising Bureau, an industry trade group. US revenues in the third quarter grew 2 percent from the US$4.1 billion in the second quarter and 33 percent from US$3.1 billion a year ago. Keyword ads displayed alongside search results generally are the most lucrative. Despite continued growth, Internet advertising accounts for only about 5 percent of all US advertising revenues.
■ Entertainment
iPods get ticket to fly
Apple Computer Inc said on Tuesday that its iPod media players will be integrated with the entertainment systems of six airlines. Passengers on United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines,Emirates, KLM and Air France will be able to power and charge their iPods during flights and watch video content from their iPods on seat-back displays. The service will be available on the airlines beginning in the middle of next year. It will likely help solidify the iPod's dominance in portable players' market. The in-flight deals are similar to ones that Apple has made with more than a dozen automakers to have iPod-compatibility built into car audio systems.
■ IPR
Google insures itself
Google Inc has set aside more than US$200 million in its just-completed takeover of YouTube Inc to cover possible losses on the deal, creating a financial cushion that might protect the Internet search leader if it is hit with legal bills for the frequent copyright violations on YouTube's video-sharing site. Without elaborating in a statement issued late on Monday, Google said it is withholding 12.5 percent of the stock owed to YouTube for one year "to secure certain indemnification obligations." The Internet giant disclosed the escrow account in an announcement marking the completion of its much-anticipated YouTube acquisition.
■ Aviation
Qantas drops alliance plan
Qantas Airways will scrap its bid to forge an alliance with Air New Zealand after competition watchdogs warned they would block the deal, it said yesterday. The two airlines, which carry 80 percent of passengers on the lucrative routs between the two countries, had wanted to coordinate all flight activities, including setting schedules and ticket prices for their codeshare. But the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said in a draft decision earlier this month that such an agreement would effectively kill competitiveness across the Tasman Sea.
ENDEAVOR MANTA: The ship is programmed to automatically return to its designated home port and would self-destruct if seized by another party The Endeavor Manta, Taiwan’s first military-specification uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) tailor-made to operate in the Taiwan Strait in a bid to bolster the nation’s asymmetric combat capabilities made its first appearance at Kaohsiung’s Singda Harbor yesterday. Taking inspiration from Ukraine’s navy, which is using USVs to force Russia’s Black Sea fleet to take shelter within its own ports, CSBC Taiwan (台灣國際造船) established a research and development unit on USVs last year, CSBC chairman Huang Cheng-hung (黃正弘) said. With the exception of the satellite guidance system and the outboard motors — which were purchased from foreign companies that were not affiliated with Chinese-funded
PERMIT REVOKED: The influencer at a news conference said the National Immigration Agency was infringing on human rights and persecuting Chinese spouses Chinese influencer “Yaya in Taiwan” (亞亞在台灣) yesterday evening voluntarily left Taiwan, despite saying yesterday morning that she had “no intention” of leaving after her residence permit was revoked over her comments on Taiwan being “unified” with China by military force. The Ministry of the Interior yesterday had said that it could forcibly deport the influencer at midnight, but was considering taking a more flexible approach and beginning procedures this morning. The influencer, whose given name is Liu Zhenya (劉振亞), departed on a 8:45pm flight from Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) to Fuzhou, China. Liu held a news conference at the airport at 7pm,
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
Authorities yesterday elaborated on the rules governing Employment Gold Cards after a US cardholder was barred from entering Taiwan for six years after working without a permit during a 2023 visit. American YouTuber LeLe Farley was barred after already being approved for an Employment Gold Card, he said in a video published on his channel on Saturday. Farley, who has more than 420,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, was approved for his Gold Card last month, but was told at a check-in counter at the Los Angeles International Airport that he could not enter Taiwan. That was because he previously participated in two
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