Clients have drifted away from Song Oh-soon’s fortune-telling village on the edge of Seoul, preferring online artificial intelligence (AI)-powered divination to the centuries-old prophesying tradition still practiced there. At 86, Song is one of the last members of a community of visually impaired p
Thomas’ phone alarm buzzes at 9:30pm — it is time for the aspiring bodybuilder to start injecting himself in the stomach with several banned peptides. He takes vials from his refrigerator of GHK-Cu, which he says would give him “beautiful skin,” and Retatrutide, which would help him “feel less hungr
NON-TECH SUPPORT: Exports of non-tech products rose in the first seven months of the year, suggesting traditional industries are reviving, a statistics official said
The government yesterday raised its economic growth forecast for this year to 11.05 percent, which would be the fastest pace in 39 years, as stronger-than-expected exports, investment and consumption extended the economy’s artificial intelligence (AI)-fueled expansion.The latest forecast was 1.41 pe
GERMAN DEAL: The firm said it plans to complete a tender offer for Kontron AG next week as it eyes an expansion of its presence across the Asia-Pacific region
Industrial computer maker Ennoconn Corp (樺漢科技) yesterday said revenue in the second half of this year is expected to exceed first-half levels driven by rising demand for smart factory and facility management solutions from semiconductor makers investing in high-tech and automation systems.Ennoconn’s
China’s top foundry, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC, 中芯), yesterday said that artificial intelligence (AI)-related demand would continue to underpin orders for its production and that it had raised prices for its most sought-after capacity.SMIC co-chief executive officer Zhao H
The annual tax-deductible allowance for basic living expenses could be raised to NT$220,000 per person for tax filers next year, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday in a presentation of a household income and expenditure survey.Median disposable income
Teco Electric & Machinery Co (東元電機) yesterday said that it would assess the feasibility of producing drone components in the US after US President Donald Trump announced overnight that Washington would impose up to 100 percent tariffs on uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) imports.The remarks by Taipei-ba
People walk outside the Colosseum in Rome on Thursday. The Colosseum has extended its opening hours at night to allow more people to see the Roman amphitheater in cooler temperatures after sunset.
SECOND-HALF DROP? Higher costs for components are making customers more cautious, although shipments of AI PCs are expected to rise, a Compal executive said
Contract electronics maker Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶) yesterday said PC shipments are expected to fall by 15 to 17 percent year-on-year in the second half of the year, as rising memory chip prices weigh on consumer demand.Compal shipped 12.1 million PCs in the first half, down 14.2 percent from the
MSCI Inc yesterday raised Taiwan’s weightings in its key global indices, reflecting the robust performance of Taiwan-listed stocks and changes in their accessibility to foreign investors.Taiwan’s weighting in the MSCI All Country World Index is set to rise to 3.13 percent from 3.08 percent, while it
E.Sun Financial Holding Co (玉山金控) is to formally merge with Mercuries Life Insurance Co (三商美邦人壽) on Sept. 1, creating Taiwan’s fifth-largest listed financial holding company by assets and paving the way for capital injections totaling NT$22 billion (US$683.91 million) to shore up the insurer’s finan
E-PAPER TRANSITION: Increasing memory prices have caused customers to postpone new product launches, with the firm expecting a later peak season this year
E Ink Holdings Inc (元太科技), the world’s biggest e-paper display supplier, yesterday revised downward its revenue growth forecast for this year to between 10 and 15 percent, from the 20 to 25 percent it previously estimated, as surging memory prices are hurting demand for its e-readers and e-notes.The
Semiconductor equipment manufacturer Skytech Inc (天虹科技) on Wednesday said that it expects customer demand to be high through the second quarter of next year, particularly for equipment used in advanced chip manufacturing and packaging technologies driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.The
A photograph taken with a drone shows thousands of dahlias arranged to form the 24th edition of the Brussels Flower Carpet on the Grand Place yesterday. Composed of more than 500,000 dahlias across a 1,680 square meter display, this year’s design is inspired by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai’s i
BIG SPENDING: Capital expenditure in the first half was up NT$3.7 billion from a year earlier and should continue rising as the firm expands in Taiwan and overseas
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) yesterday said that net profit for the second quarter grew 35 percent year-on-year to NT$59.98 billion (US$1.86 billion), a record for a single quarter and beating the NT$58 billion average analyst estimate.Earnings per share rose to a record NT$4.27 from NT$3.19
Yesiang Enterprise Co (鈺祥), the nation’s largest supplier of semiconductor chemical filters, yesterday said that revenue in the second half would significantly outgrow the first half, driven by rising demand for filters in advanced 2-nanometer chip plants.Another key growth driver comes as a major c
TALENT CRUNCH: Mismatches between applicants’ qualifications and company requirements were the biggest challenges to recruitment, a 104 Job Bank survey showed
Taiwanese companies are taking longer to fill vacancies while losing new hires more quickly, highlighting a widening talent crunch as employers compete for workers in an increasingly tight labor market, a report released yesterday by 104 Job Bank showed.Companies needed an average of 44.9 days to hi
Taiwanese stocks are gaining favor over South Korea’s on steadier earnings prospects, as the two artificial intelligence (AI)-bellwether markets look to recover from last month’s rout.Foreign investors turned net buyers of Taiwanese stocks last week, ending a six-week selling streak, data compiled b
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, yesterday reported a record return on investments of US$185 billion in the first half of the year, recovering from heavy losses seen in the first three months of the year.The 9.4 percent return was due largely to its holdings in Asian technology f
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