Hi Tech Taipei

Avoid Gadget Scratches with Wrapsol

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:48:00 +0000

Because scratches and dents are hard to avoid, only one thing you can do is to protect your devices by using protective film. But how will you know the best and strongest protective film to use for your devices? If you have hard time to find such, the following details that I will mention here will give you idea in this regard.

Since it’s critical to find a reliable protective film for any devices now a day, wrapsol provides a strong and dependable protective film. This protective film is made of advanced high strength polyurethane that will give a high level protection for your notepads, mobiles, mp3s and other devices against scratches, dents and even dings.

If you find it hard to install other brand of protective film, wrapsol brands gives you easiest way to apply the items because it has a 100% dry application features that avoid the appearance of air bubbles and fingerprint.

So if you want to buy this kind of protective film, get the wrapsol code from wirelesscouponcode.com and avail 10% discount in all items. If you will purchase the items, don’t forget to enter the wrapsol code to avail the discount!

The Latest Eye Asteroids Use No Hands anymore

admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:45:47 +0000

The coolest game is now created and this was really invented for the satisfaction of the players. I am proud to tell to everyone that the latest eye asteroid which is now no-hand is already created.
Some of you might remember Asteroids, a game where you control a triangle that shoots at some oblong shapes that become smaller oblong shapes until they are utterly destroyed. All that is required is looking at what you will shoot, and in case you are wondering, it does work for gamers with glasses. The game is created by Tobii, which is only planning on making 50 of these machines at $15,000 each. In case you are wondering, that is pretty expensive for a stand-up arcade game.
Yes, we have come a long way from the Vector graphics of eighties games of the past, and this new version of the classic game, also known as Eye Asteroids. Eye Asteroids requires no joystick, but all the controls are the player’s eyes.
You can watch the video after the jump of the eye-controlled game in action. You will note the graphics are more advanced, and the user plays a giant planet instead of that triangle that was supposed to be a spaceship.

Get wow with the 8 Mega-pixel Mega shoot

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:49:40 +0000

In a time honored tradition, we have the latest and greatest camera phones lined up and ready to shoot for the top. It’s been a while, we know. The last time we had a taste of 8MP sharp shooting action was in the distant 2008. 8MP then and 8MP now, but things cannot be more different.
We’re looking for the best cameraphone among some of the industry’s finest smartphones. This is not a battle of platforms and ideologies. This time around we’re not interested in all-round skill and user experience. All the participants in this challenge are under strict instructions to shoot. And they will be shooting to kill.
Let’s meet our contenders. The brand new iPhone 4S seems to be the one to look out for, but the Samsung Galaxy S II has had a consistently excellent record so far. Then there’s the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S and the latest HTC Sensation XE. The outstanding Nokia N9 and the Windows Phone heavyweight HTC Titan are also in the ring.

My Apple MacBook Pro Fall 2

admin — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 09:46:13 +0000

I received an Apple MacBook Pro Fall 2 last birthday of mine. I was really surprised when I opened a specially-wrapped gift given by my Dad. However, I had this feeling that he would be giving me the laptop because the day before my birthday, he asked me what is the coolest laptop ever and I said Apple
Incremental updates to the CPU help keep the MacBook Pro line a step above the now-mainstream MacBook Air. The trackpad and gesture controls are still the best of any current laptop. A MacBook Pro is a significant investment, especially when adding in optional upgrades. Cost aside, there’s not a better choice (there are, however, some close ties) for an all-around powerhouse that will work in the home, the office, and in between.
The latest round of updates to Apple’s popular MacBook Pro line were modest enough that they simply appeared on the Apple Web site with little fanfare beyond a basic press release. Rather than a generational jump as we saw in February 2011 (when the Pro moved from Intel’s original Core i-series CPUs to the latest second-generation chips, formerly code-named Sandy Bridge), this is perhaps better described as minor housekeeping.

The Nokia 700

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:50:36 +0000

The Nokia 700 has a license to chill. Unburdened with high expectations, this phone is getting ready to surprise you. Not in it for the win, it has too much class to lose.
Scorching hot body and super crisp ClearBlack AMOLED screen, the Nokia 700 is stepping on its 1GHz processor to the delight of those who like their Symbian shaken (Belle) not stirred.
Small phone ready for big things. That’s how we summed the Nokia 700 up in our preview. Time we guess for it to take its first big test.
What’s under the hood should come as no surprise. Nokia’s current crop of Symbian phones have more or less the same hardware. The camera is down a notch to 5MP from the 8MP unit in the 701. However, with both using fixed-focus optics and both shooting 720p video, we don’t think there’s that much of a difference.
Inside is Symbian Belle, which we quite liked, running on the 1GHz CPU and 512MB combo that’s enough to keep Android happy, let alone an OS that emerged around 2001.

Blackberry’s Ballistic

admin — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 09:47:02 +0000

Just for the record, we have reported on Ballistic’s BlackBerry tablet case before, but this time, I got to try it out. I have tried out products from Ballistic before with the HC case for the iPhone 4, and that had about 5 layers of protection. The Ballistic TJ, or Tough Jacket, has four layers of protection to protect the BlackBerry Playbook. The first is the inner silicone layer that absorbs shock. The second is the impact-resistant hard plastic, and the third is a shock absorbent polymer layer. As for the fourth layer, it is a snap-on cover that can be used on the front and the back. When used on the back, it has a fold-down kickstand for when you want to watch content in landscape mode. It also has some trademarked Ballistic Corners which help to absorb even more shocks from corner drops. As you might have guessed, the company loves these corners, as it says that “all four corners have extra shock absorption where you need it the most”! You should be able to purchase the Ballistic Tough Jacket for the BlackBerry Playbook on the official Ballistic website for about $69.99 in black/black as well as black/red. While you are there, check out what other devices that Ballistic is offering protection to.

Quanta and ACER get behind WiMAX

admin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:52:09 +0000

Recently Digitimes noted the formation of a WiMAX consortium here in Taiwan. According to Digitimes:

Four Taiwan WiMAX licensed operators – Global Mobile, Vastar Cable TV System, Tatung Telecom and First International Telecom (Fitel) – on April 15 formed the Consortium of Mobile Broadband (CMB) with an aim to facilitate the development of the WiMAX industry in Taiwan.

China Economic News (CENS) reported shortly thereafter that Taiwanese PC manufacturers are supporting the WiMAX standard. CENS reported:

Taiwan’s top two PC makers-Acer and Quanta Computer-recently joined the island`s telecom providers to form an alliance christened “Consortium of Mobile Broadband (CMB)” to promote WiMAX technology.

The article continues:

Industry watchers on the island said the allying suggests that makers of network-communications equipment PC makers have emerged as another major force pushing the formation of the next-generation mobile industry in Taiwan.

Intel has is also getting behind the development of WiMAX in Taiwan. Reuters reports:

Intel Corp said on Monday it will invest $500 million in Taiwan over the next five years, with a large amount of the investment targeted at the island’s WiMAX sector.

As I also noted last week, at the top of NEC’s procurement list were WiMAX components. WiMAX is growing in Taiwan.

Article 1: Taiwan licensed WiMAX operators form consortium
Article 2: Taiwanese PC Makers Join WiMAX Camp
Article 3: Intel to Invest $500M in Taiwan to Boost WiMAX
Previous: NEC to Purchase Components Worth Three Billion USD
About WiMAX: WiMAX Forum, Wikipedia

Branding Taiwan

admin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:51:29 +0000

I just saw an article on China Economic News (CENS) on how Taiwan companies are trying to develop their own international brands. Many/most successful companies in Taiwan are successful OEM/ODM/EMS/Contract manufacturers (take your pick). Two outstanding examples are Hon-Hai and Quanta. However, there are also some very successful and increasingly ubiquitous brands including ACER, ASUS, TrendMicro and Giant.

Apparently some manufacturers are now looking to develop their own brands. As one of my MBA professors said to me a few years ago, there is very little money on the manufacturing side of the value chain. Many companies in Taiwan have developed strong foreign customers who have their own brands and make enormous profits through their own brand equity. The Taiwanese manufacturers on the other hand only reap small profits. They are now looking to redress this imbalance.

However, CENS observes:

Brand development requires the devotion of more effort to the cultivation of talent, and to the encouragement of talented personnel to explore their creativity and innovation in the development of unique products. Such efforts are often seen in high-tech industries, and some domestic high-tech firms have been well rewarded for the development of their own brands. Among these success stories are Asus, TrendMicro, D-Link, and BenQ, all of which made the list of Taiwan`s top 10 brands in 2007.

And here is the problem! Many Taiwan companies are run, in a fellow writer’s words “like giant Mom ‘n Pop stores.” Very little attention is given to external communications. Websites are usually an absolute mess with very little consistency in terminology and very little thought as to what the value-proposition of the company and the product is.

Many companies also resort to phrases like the one above, “Brand development requires the devotion of more effort to the cultivation of talent, and to the encouragement of talented personnel…,” which actually says very little about what actually needs to be done. Company CEOs are also very strong minded about how they perceive the marketing material should be and even if the company slogan is grammatically incorrect in English, they will not change it because they like it.

Many Taiwanese companies think the product is good enough to establish the brand of the company. I beg to differ! I would even argue they should know better. Most companies have grown up through manufacturing and should surely realize by now how easy it is to make stuff.

Communications is the key! Yet they place so little emphasis on communicating what their company is about and, when they do communicate, many of the press releases are a grammatical mess which are really difficult to read. This is true even for some companies on Interbrand’s Top Taiwan Brand list.

If Taiwanese companies are truly interested in developing strong brands, they really need to pay attention to their communications at all levels. Productivity is good and innovation critical but communicating clearly and concisely (although this post is certainly not concise) is also important.

(Article: Taiwan Brands Make Inroads in Global Market)

Be Amazed with a Robot Tea Infuser

admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:47:55 +0000

Mommies out there will surely get excited with the article I am going to write. We all know that in today’s modern world, we are now going to be open minded for the graces of the wonder of the modern technology.
Who says that robots will rule over us humans in the distant future? I suppose things will still remain the same, where we lord it over those digital beings. Otherwise, how else are you able to explain the $9.99 Robot Tea Infuser? Sure, they might have the relevant know-how in how to perform a whole lot of complex tasks, but what do they know about making a good cup of tea?
The Robot Tea Infuser will get the job done for you though – made out of stainless steel so that it will not spoil the taste of the tea that you’re about to drink, all you need to do is pop open his chest compartment, load it up with your favorite loose leaf tea, close it, and pour some hot water inside – waiting for a few minutes for the delicious brew to infuse. He comes with adjustable arms that will enable him to hang freely around your mug – now how about that?

Forbes’ Inaugural Taiwan’s Top 40 Richest List

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:50:49 +0000

I stumbled on this yesterday, slightly outside the purview of a tech blog, but still relates to Taiwan and Taiwan business. The net worth of the Top 40 is impressive. According to Forbes.

For decades after the end of World War II, Taiwan’s relationship with China was strained because of politics. Today, changes on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are leading to hopes for better relations between the two, a trend that is already boosting wealth in Taiwan.

That is the main theme from our inaugural list of Taiwan’s 40 richest. Taiwan’s main stock index and property prices have gained this year on hopes that the island, under newly elected President Ma Ying-jeou, will seek closer ties with the mainland. To that end, Taiwan is prepared to open itself to goods and money from the mainland in ways that it hasn’t in more than a half a century.

“There is a lot of room to increase business between both sides,” says Stephen Liao, vice president and head of research at Grand Securities. Among the industries that would particularly benefit from closer ties are retail, tourism and property, he says.

The combined net worth of the island’s 40 richest is $77 billion, more than their counterparts in South Korea or any Southeast Asian nation. They lag Hong Kong’s top 40 by $102 billion and China’s by $43 billion, but considering Taiwan’s political isolation and relative size, the group holds its own.

Yeah, maybe these guys can get richer when more money flows into Taiwan from the Mainland but at what cost? According to the article property prices are already on the rise. Average property prices around my neighborhood start at around USD500,000 and I have seen two apartments recently for more than USD1,000,000. We even saw one for USD3,000,000. Average Taiwanese people earn a little over USD1,000 per month. They cannot afford these apartments and that is why the companies can remain competitive. A very cheap highly-educated work force. (Most of the people in my company have Master’s degrees from overseas).

While I have a lot of respect for Taiwan’s entrepreneurship (hence a blog focusing on Taiwan’s businesses), I don’t think opening more links with China will improve the lives and wealth of the average Taiwanese person, and their relative financial position may even deteriorate. I will give credit to Ma though, I saw an article (cannot find the link) where he said he wanted to increase the average Taiwanese salary to NTD900,000 (USD30,000) per year. Even so, they will still not be able to afford apartments and houses in Taipei. Its just too expensive.

Anyway, for what its worth, Taiwan’s richest list is below with links to their short Forbe’s biographies:

Tsai Hong-tu & family
Y.C. Wang
Terry Gou
Tsai Wan-tsai
Cher Wang & Wen Chi Chen
Jeffrey Koo Sr.
Lin Rong San
Wei Ing-Chou & family
Tsai Eng Meng
Lin Yu-Lin
Eugene Wu & family
Barry Lam
Chao Teng-Hsiung
Douglas Hsu
Shi Wen Long
Luo Jye & family
Chang Yung-fa
Tsai Ming-Kai
Leslie Koo
Jason Chang
Lin Ming-cheng
Tsai Chi Jui & family
Long-Shing Liao
Suhon Lin
Tseng Shin-yi
Rudy Ma & family
Kenneth Yen & family
Paul Liao & family
Chen Ching-Chih & family
Samuel Yin
Wu Chung-Yi
Lin Yu-chia & family
Hou Bo-ming & family
Chen Yung-tai
Show Chung Ho
Wu Ping-Chih & family
Allen Horng & family
Bruce Cheng
Steven Pan & family
Ting Piao Chiao & family

(Forbes’ Article: Taiwan’s 40 Richest)