■ TELECOMS
BlackBerry monitor needed
India, which has threatened to block some BlackBerry services over security worries, has formally asked mobile operators to ensure a monitoring system for the smartphone’s services by Aug. 31. New Delhi said it would shut Blackberry services if Research in Motion does not allow access to its messaging or secured e-mail services, threatening its future in the world’s fastest-growing telecoms market. A shutdown would affect about 1 million users in India out of a total 41 million BlackBerry users worldwide.
■ MINING
S Korea, Bolivia talk lithium
South Korea and Bolivia are close to a deal to develop a coveted lithium resource in the South American country, which has nearly half the world’s known reserves, the Chosun Ilbo said yesterday. The report quoted an unidentified senior government official as saying that the two countries were working on a final draft of the deal to be signed when Bolivian President Evo Morales visits Seoul late this month. However, a South Korean foreign ministry spokesman said it was too early to say whether the deal could be sealed.
■ INTERNET
More watching Facebook
Industry tracker comScore on Monday reported that Facebook last month became the third most popular spot for US Internet users to watch online videos. Approximately 46.6 million people watched videos at the social networking Web site, compared with slightly more than 55 million at Yahoo properties and 143.2 million at Google venues, primarily YouTube, according to comScore. Facebook viewers watched videos for an average of 18 minutes, while Google served up 4.7 hours of video per visitor. Yahoo viewers watched just shy of 27 minutes of video each during the month, comScore said.
■ INTERNET
Google buys Jambool
Virtual currency manager Jambool announced on Monday its purchase by Google for an undisclosed sum. Jambool is the company that launched Social Gold virtual transactions technology that processes virtual currencies — make-believe money for online transactions such as games and social networks, including Facebook and MySpace. The technology allows makers of online games and social networks to mine “real money from virtual goods” — allowing genuine cash to be converted into virtual currency and vice versa.
■ COMPUTERS
Dell buying 3Par
Dell Inc said on Monday it was buying 3Par Inc, a maker of enterprise data storage equipment, for US$1.13 billion cash. Dell is offering US$18 per share for 3Par, an 87 percent premium over the company’s Friday closing price of US$9.65. The deal is expected to close this year. Dell expects the 3Par acquisition to add to its adjusted profit in fiscal 2012. It said it would also invest in added engineering and sales resources at 3Par.
■ INSURANCE
Aegon, EU agree on deal
Insurer Aegon NV said yesterday it had reached a deal with EU regulators on repaying 2 billion euros (US$2.56 billion) in support it received from the Dutch government at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. Aegon said it would repay the money — “market conditions permitting” — by the end of next year, including a payment of 500 million euros this month. As part of the deal it will keep its dividends frozen and not pursue any acquisitions until the money is paid back.
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
‘RELATIVELY STRONG LANGUAGE’: An expert said the state department has not softened its language on China and was ‘probably a little more Taiwan supportive’ China’s latest drills near Taiwan on Monday were “brazen and irresponsible threats,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on Tuesday, while reiterating Washington’s decades-long support of Taipei. “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to media queries. Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan will continue as it has for 45 years and the US “will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, informational and diplomatic pressure campaign,” the e-mail said. “Alongside our international partners, we firmly
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
COUNTERING THE PLA: While the US should reinforce its relations with partners and allies, Taiwan must invest in strengthening its defenses as well, Phillip Davidson said If influence in the Indo-Pacific region is one of the US’ core interests, then Taiwan serves as a cornerstone of US economic and security influence in the region, former US Indo-Pacific Command commander admiral Phillip Davidson said on Thursday. “China’s ... strategy is to supplant the US leadership role in the international order ... and they’ve long said ... that they intend to do that by 2050,” Davidson told the National Review Institute’s Ideas Summit in Washington. Davidson said he had previously told US Senate hearings on China’s military activities and possible threats in the Indo-Pacific region that a Chinese invasion of
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