Business and Finance

NVIDIA And AMD Just Bought Up All Excess Capacity At TSMC For Next Generation GPUs And CPUs

Wccf (Where Consumers Come First) tech
Date: April 23, 2020
By: Usman Pirzada

While the Coronavirus has the business world reeling, NVIDIA and AMD have both swooped in and purchased excess capacity at TSMC by ramping up their orders for next-generation GPUs and CPUs. In a report published by Digitimes, Taiwan's most reliable news source, TSMC is expected to post strong results in 1H 2020 thanks to a sudden ramp-up of orders by NVIDIA and AMD making up for the shortfall.

NVIDIA and AMD gobble up spare (7nm) capacity at TSMC for next-generation processors

The last flagship release from NVIDIA was back in September 2018. It has been a long time since NVIDIA rolled out a successor and we have a feeling that the company was waiting for TSMC's 7nm node to get mature for high-performance graphics and you are going to see a massive leap with the company's next-generation architecture.

Since both NVIDIA and AMD are fab-less design houses there is always a concern whether TSMC can spare capacity (everyone knows Apple is their darling) but it looks like the COVID19 has swung things in their favor as both companies have been gobbling up space yielded by other customers. This includes next-generation CPUs and GPUs from both NVIDIA and AMD.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan to counter OTT streaming services by Chinese TV groups

Loopholes amount to breach of democracy: Cabinet

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/23
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Following reports that even China’s state-owned CCTV group was planning to launch over-the-top (OTT) streaming services in Taiwan, the government said Thursday (April 23) it would not sit back and allow Chinese media groups to exploit loopholes.

Media organizations from China are banned from setting up Taiwan-based services, but companies like Tencent Holdings Ltd. and iQiyi have formed alliances with local broadcasters and distributors to promote and sell their video streaming services on the island.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan shares close up 0.57%

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/23/2020
By: Y.F. Low

Taipei, April 23 (CNA) Taiwan shares closed up 58.77 points, or 0.57 percent, at 10,366.51 Thursday on turnover of NT$154.76 billion (US$5.14 billion).    [SOURCE]

Industrial data increases 10.41%

COMPONENTS BOOST: An official said local panel makers have received orders from China amid a production hiatus, while South Korean companies have exited

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 24, 2020
By: Natasha Li / Staff reporter

Industrial production last month increased 10.41 percent year-on-year, driven by transferred orders and recovering market demand in the manufacturing sector, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Department of Statistics said yesterday.

Output from the manufacturing sector, which contributes more than 90 percent of total industrial production, last month grew 11.09 percent year-on-year.

The increase was mainly due to strong growth in the electronic components industry and the computers, electronics and optical components industry, department Director-General Wang Shu-chuan (王淑娟) told a news conference in Taipei.

“Despite the spread of the coronavirus [COVID-19], the electronic components industry was mostly unaffected, hitting a record high last month, surging 26.04 percent year-on-year thanks to vigorous production of integrated circuit boards,” Wang said, adding that production jumped 40.26 percent on an annual basis as demand for 5G communications and high-performance computing expanded.
[FULL  STORY]

I Squared Capital completes divestment of Chenya Energy to Marubeni

Power Technology
Date: 22 APRIL 2020SHARE

Global infrastructure investment management firm I Squared Capital has closed the sale of its solar platform Chenya Energy in Taiwan to Japanese company Marubeni.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia Cube Energy, Chenya Energy was engaged in solar development, construction and operating the platform in Taiwan.

Asia Cube Energy is a pan-Asian renewable portfolio company, which was established by I Squared Capital in 2017.

I Squared Capital managing partner Gautam Bhandari said: “In three years under I Squared Capital’s stewardship, Chenya Energy grew from 2.3 to 344.4MW of solar capacity across multiple technologies, including floating, ground-mounted and rooftop solutions.    [FULL  STORY]

Chinese TV groups use coronavirus pandemic to gain Taiwan market share

OTT services could soon be joined by state-controlled CCTV

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/22
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Chinese OTT services are grabbing Taiwan market share (screenshot from WeTV Taiwan Facebook page) 

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chinese media groups are using the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to push their over-the-top (OTT) streaming services in the Taiwanese market, with even state-owned China Central Television (CCTV) expected to put in an appearance, the Liberty Times reported Wednesday (April 22).

Taiwan has been fighting the growing infiltration of Chinese communist propaganda, especially the distribution of “fake news” during the campaign for the Jan. 11 elections and during the coronavirus pandemic.

While Chinese TV companies are officially banned from launching Taiwan-based services, some evade those restrictions by cooperating with local media groups. Tencent Holdings Ltd. advertises for its WeTV product on Taipei City’s streets, while its Beijing-based rival iQiyi also offers online video services.
[FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s jobless rate edges up in March

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/22/2020
By: Tsai Peng-min and Chiang Yi-ching

CNA file photo

Taipei, April 22 (CNA) Taiwan's unemployment rate increased slightly in March due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said Wednesday.

The jobless rate showed a 0.02 percentage point rise in March from a month earlier to 3.72 percent, but after seasonal adjustments, it was 3.76 percent, a monthly increase of 0.06 percent percentage points and the highest since last May, DBGAS data showed.

In March, the number of unemployed persons in the country increased by 2,000, or 0.45 percent, from the previous month to 445,000, according to the DGBAS.

The number of workers who lost their jobs due to downsizing or closure of companies increased by 7,000 in March, while the number of employees who quit to seek other jobs decreased by 2,000, as did the number of first-time job seekers, the data showed.    [FULL  STORY]

Smart Home Market Poised to Grow Rapidly by 2025, Led by Wi-Fi Connectivity Adoption

More than six-billion Wi-Fi capable smart home devices to be shipped between 2020-2025

PR Newswire
Date: Apr 21, 2020
By: Counterpoint Research 

BOSTON, TORONTO, LONDON, NEW DELHI, BEIJING, TAIPEI and SEOUL, April 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — According to Counterpoint's latest Smart Home research, the global smart home market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 21% from 2019-2025. The strongest growth areas include white goods, smart lighting, and home automation segments as more household items become connected to a smart home ecosystem.

Sharing the research findings, Research Analyst Maurice Klaehne, noted, "The current smart home market is dominated by three categories, smart TV, security cameras, and smart speakers. Each of these markets has different drivers which have made them successful. Smart TVs have seen great adoption in North America and China as streaming media options such as Netflix or iQiyi have grown in popularity over the years. Connected TVs are also challenging conventional cable viewing habits and making people 'cut the cord', and, COVID-19 pandemic will further accelerate this trend.

"For security cameras, price reductions in connected cameras have enabled more people to purchase cameras for their home to offer additional layers of security and peace of mind. Lastly, smart speakers have been one of the fastest-growing markets to date due to the low barrier to entry for consumers satisfying multiple use-cases from streaming music to personal voice assistant services such as Alexa, Google Assistant, AliGenie, Siri, and others. Connected white goods and smart lighting systems will be the fastest-growing segments and see strong adoption to drive convenience, help manage energy consumption and assist in product maintenance and care."    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan expands special budget for economic relief to NT$210 billion

Legislative Yuan approves additional NT$150 billion to boost Taiwan’s economy

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/21
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Legislative Yuan passes review for expanded economic relief budget on Tuesday.  (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Legislative Yuan on Tuesday (April 21) passed the review for the expanded economic relief budget, hoping the additional NT$150 billion (US$4.99 billion) could help soften the economic blow caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In an effort to alleviate the financial burden felt by the country's industries, Taiwan's Cabinet announced April 2 a revised version of the emergency economic stimulus package totaling NT$1.05 trillion (US$34.64 billion). The updated relief budget would not only include the original NT$60 billion allotment, but also an NT$150 billion increase in the special budget as well as more than NT$800 billion in loans from government-owned banks and financial institutions, according to Liberty Times.

After much discussion between legislators of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), the increased budget was approved Tuesday. The lawmakers also agreed that a maximum amount of NT$210 billion can be added to the budget later if needed.

In regards to the NT$2 billion (US$66.1 million) worth of stimulus coupons that the government plans on distributing, the KMT's new chairman, Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), said that cash subsidies may be more effective in encouraging consumption. Meanwhile, Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) of the New Power Party (NPP) also reminded the government to provide financial support for nonprofit organizations in the country as well.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan shares plunge on economic concerns

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/21/2020
By: Frances Huang

Taipei, April 21 (CNA) Shares in Taiwan moved sharply lower across the board Tuesday, falling almost 3 percent to end below 10,300 points, with market sentiment spooked by heavy losses on U.S. markets in the wake of diving crude oil prices, dealers said.

Unconfirmed reports in the international media that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in critical condition after heart surgery triggered more selling as investors grew concerned over potential geopolitical instability, they said.

The weighted index on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) or the Taiex closed down 298.29 points, or 2.82 percent, at 10,288.42, after moving between 10,278.95 and 10,544.80, on turnover of NT$183.28 billion (US$6.11 billion).

The market opened down 0.40 percent and selling escalated in response to a 2.44 percent plunge on the Dow Jones Industrial Average overnight after a massive tumble in May oil futures in New York amid concerns over the global economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, dealers said.    [FULL  STORY]