Weekly Roundup: Key Developments in Tech, Politics, and Global Affairs in Taiwan
19 July 2024
Technology
52% of Enterprises Face 'Supply Chain Attacks'! Cybersecurity Firm: AI Becomes Hacker's Assistant
According to the cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, the rapid development of generative AI technology has made it a new tool for hackers to conduct illegal attacks. Enterprises not only have to deal with existing cybersecurity challenges, but also face the dilemma of hackers' social engineering attack methods evolving more quickly and the attack surface continuously expanding.
Trend Micro Taiwan's general manager Hong Wei-gan stated that enterprises often start to take cybersecurity seriously due to regulatory requirements, supply chain demands, or cybersecurity incidents. In recent years, supply chain security problems have become severe, with 52% of enterprises facing supply chain attacks.
Source: SETN
https://www.setn.com/News.aspx?NewsID=1499945
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Major chip maker in crisis! Internal engineers sigh "unable to compete with TSMC": Many colleagues want to resign
A crisis is brewing within a major chip manufacturer, as internal engineers express their struggles to compete with industry leader TSMC. Many employees are reportedly considering resigning, disheartened by the company's inability to match TSMC's technological prowess.
This comes despite the South Korean company's previous attempts to overtake TSMC, which now appear to have fallen short. The surging demand for 3nm chips driven by AI development has only further highlighted TSMC's dominance, as the Taiwanese foundry struggles to keep up with orders from tech giants like NVIDIA. The article paints a challenging picture for this chip maker, as it falls behind its Taiwanese rival and faces growing discontent within its workforce.
Source: SETN
https://www.setn.com/News.aspx?NewsID=1499597
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Did Apple Trigger a Smartphone Upgrade Cycle? AI Smartphone Shipments Estimated to Surge Over 3-fold This Year, Taiwan Supply Chain to Boom Until 2028
According to the latest IDC report, the rise of generative AI is revitalizing the stagnant smartphone market. AI smartphone shipments are expected to grow 364% to 2.34 billion units this year and continue growing through 2028. Major brands like Apple, Samsung, Huawei, OPPO, and Xiaomi are actively launching new AI-powered smartphones, with the iPhone 16 series being the most anticipated. Analysts are optimistic this will boost the performance of supply chain players like Largan Precision, MediaTek, Unimicron, Pegatron, Foxconn, and Asustek. The introduction of AI features is seen as a key driver for the next smartphone upgrade cycle.
Source: Business Weekly / Economic Daily News
https://bwplus.page.link/PAsw
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Politics & Business
TSMC is sweating anxiously? Kuo Cheng-liang reveals that Trump may 'threaten' this way:
The policy of finding jobs for the lower-middle class of whites is for real Former legislator Kuo Cheng-liang stated that Trump's "protection fee" means Taiwan must increase its defense budget to at least 3% of GDP and require TSMC to set up more fabs in the US, potentially without subsidies. Kuo believes Trump's real intent is to force Taiwan to increase military spending and production capacity in the US, as part of his policy to prioritize jobs for lower-middle class white Americans. This highlights the ongoing tensions between the US and Taiwan over trade and security issues.
Source: Storm Media
https://www.storm.mg/article/5196353
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Taipei City Mayor Bows in Apology for Kindergarten Abuse Case
The controversy over the Taipei kindergarten abuse case is ongoing. Taipei City Mayor Gao Wan-an apologized and bowed before the public to express his regret to the injured children and their families. The case involves the son of the kindergarten director who is suspected of sexually assaulting students. The opposition party has continued to criticize the Gao administration over the handling of this incident. Mayor Gao stated that as the mayor of Taipei, he feels the need to offer his sincere apologies to the harmed children and their parents.
Source: Udn News
https://udn.com/news/story/124128/8105270
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China-Made IT Products Invade Taiwanese Military Strongholds, Huang Kuo-chang Points Fingers at These Two Officials
Legislator Huang Kuo-chang has accused two officials of being responsible for the infiltration of Chinese-made information and communications products into Taiwan's military strongholds. Huang claims these products pose a serious national security threat, as they could potentially be used for surveillance or sabotage by China.
He has demanded that the officials involved be held accountable for this breach of security. The issue highlights growing concerns in Taiwan about the risks posed by reliance on Chinese technology, especially in sensitive areas like national defense. Huang's accusations have sparked calls for a thorough investigation and tighter controls on the procurement of IT equipment for military use.
Source: Yahoo Taiwan / FTNN News
https://tw.news.yahoo.com/中國製資通訊產品入侵台灣軍事要塞-黃國昌點名-這兩人-負責到底-050500097.html
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International
Trump signs! Officially accepts the Republican nomination to run for the White House again
According to the article, former US President Donald Trump officially signed the documents to accept the Republican Party's nomination and will run for the White House again in the 2024 presidential election.
The event took place on the evening of July 18th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the fourth day of the Republican National Convention. Trump appeared with a bandage on his right ear, which he has been wearing since an alleged assassination attempt 13 days earlier. This marks Trump's first public appearance since the incident as he prepares to challenge for the presidency once more.
Source: SETN
https://www.setn.com/News.aspx?NewsID=1501405
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Trump Promises to Defend Taiwan? Trump: They Should Pay the U.S. "Military Fees”
In a recent interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, former U.S. President Donald Trump was asked whether he would defend Taiwan against China. Trump acknowledged his respect for the Taiwanese people, but stated that Taiwan has taken "almost 100% of our chip business" and has not given the U.S. anything in return. He believes that Taiwan should pay military fees to the U.S. Trump questioned the logic of defending an island 9,500 miles away, citing the economic difficulties involved. His comments suggest a hesitation to firmly commit to defending Taiwan against potential Chinese aggression, in contrast with the bipartisan U.S. support for Taiwan in recent years.
Source: Liberty times
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/4739079?utm_medium=APP&utm_campaign=SHARE&utm_medium=APP
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French Competition Authority Confirms Nvidia Under Anti-trust Investigation
The French Competition Authority (Autorité de la concurrence) has confirmed that they are investigating U.S. chip giant Nvidia for alleged anti-competitive behavior. The authority's president, Benoit Coeure, stated that if the investigation yields results, Nvidia will face formal charges.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the French regulator was preparing to bring formal charges against Nvidia. The investigation reportedly began last September when the authorities raided companies in the graphics card industry. The French competition watchdog is looking into whether Nvidia has abused its dominant market position, which could potentially lead to fines or other penalties if wrongdoing is found.
Source: Storm Media
https://www.storm.mg/article/5194317