taiwan | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Wed, 29 Mar 2023 22:45:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png taiwan | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Nvidia’s Taiwan Twitter account has been hacked and suspended https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/joao-silva/nvidias-taiwan-twitter-account-has-been-hacked-and-suspended/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/joao-silva/nvidias-taiwan-twitter-account-has-been-hacked-and-suspended/#respond Wed, 16 Nov 2022 12:45:56 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=582612 Nvidia has had a run of bad luck with cybersecurity this year. Earlier in the year, a ransomware attack was carried out against Nvidia. Now, the company's Taiwan Twitter account has been breached and naturally, the hacker used this opportunity to run a crypto scam. 

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Nvidia has had a run of bad luck with cybersecurity this year. Earlier in the year, a ransomware attack was carried out against Nvidia. Now, the company's Taiwan region Twitter account has been breached and naturally, the hacker used this opportunity to run a crypto scam. 

VideoCardz was the first to share this unusual post, where we see an official Nvidia account promoting Dogeathon 2022 and “giving” holders a chance to win some Bitcoin, Dogecoin and Ethereum. Accompanying the post, there was a “scammy” picture with Doge, Elon Musk and the Twitter logo.

Image credit: VideoCardz 

The Nvidia Taiwan account has been inactive since 2019, with little to almost no engagement. So, of course, posting something like this was a bit surprising. At the time of the post, the account was “verified”, but it seems someone got a hold of it and tried to use Nvidia's name to make the scam more credible.

The account has since been suspended, but while the post was online, some may have clicked on the link. We don't know the URL's destination, but chances are it was another portion of a phishing scam, or an attempt to steal cryptocurrency.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: A lot of companies hold onto inactive social media accounts, but if passwords still aren't being changed periodically, those credentials can eventually make their way into the hands of bad actors. Nvidia has not yet commented publicly on the social media issue. 

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Leo Says Ep.62 – We NEED Taiwan! https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-announcement/leo-waldock/leo-says-ep-62-we-need-taiwan/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-announcement/leo-waldock/leo-says-ep-62-we-need-taiwan/#respond Thu, 13 May 2021 07:08:48 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=515171 At KitGuru we focus on technology and for obvious reasons we try to avoid politics, religion and mention of the pandemic. In today's episode of Leo Says we have pushed our editorial limits with a video about Taiwan that discusses the importance of TSMC and the peculiar way that Taiwan is diplomatically ignored by almost every nation on the planet...

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At KitGuru we focus on technology and for obvious reasons we try to avoid politics, religion and mention of the pandemic. In today's episode of Leo Says we have pushed our editorial limits with a video about Taiwan that discusses the importance of TSMC and the peculiar way that Taiwan is diplomatically ignored by almost every nation on the planet.

The UK Government has published a Green List of 12 destinations that we Brits will soon be able to visit without the need to quarantine on our return to the UK.

  • Portugal
  • Israel
  • Singapore
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Brunei
  • Iceland
  • Gibraltar
  • Falkland Islands
  • Faroe Islands
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • St Helena, Tristan de Cunha, Ascension Island

You will note that Taiwan is missing from the list, despite its stellar virus containment, and most likely that is because Taiwan does not officially exist as a nation. That may sound like a bizarre statement and for the full background we recommend a video produced by The Economist titled ‘Is Taiwan part of China?’ that explains the fascinating history of Taiwan.

There are many reasons why we want Taiwan to maintain its independence from PRC, and TSMC's status as the world's leading foundry is close to the top of that list.

These charts from TSMC give us a clear picture of TSMC's lead in fabrication technology over Intel and Samsung and thir plans for captial expenditure make it plain that Taiwan and TSMC will fight hard to miantain their lead.

Leo's notes:

TSMC will spend US$100 billion in the next three years with US$30 billion ‘this year’
(Not certain whether that is 2021 or Q1 2021 to Q1 2022)

Intel is building two new fabs at its Ocotillo campus in Arizona
Intel Capex budget for 2021 is USS19-20 billion
(in 2020 they spent US$14.3 billion and in 2019 US$16.2 billion)

SMIC will invest US$2.35 billion in Shenzen and should come online in 2022

TSMC is building a fab in Arizona, although surely not at the cutting edge
Samsung will expand their fab in Austin, TX

In December 2020 the EU announced they would deliver a 2nm fab somewhere in the EU by 2030 with a proposed budget of Euros 145 billion.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Even the slightest problem at TSMC sends shock waves around the world, so the outbreak of military conflict could bring global supply chains to a complete halt.

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Computex 2020 looks questionable as Taiwan tightens its travel rules https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/computex-2020-looks-questionable-as-taiwan-tightens-its-travel-rules/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/computex-2020-looks-questionable-as-taiwan-tightens-its-travel-rules/#respond Wed, 18 Mar 2020 16:25:49 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=457513 Just a few weeks ago, TAITRA announced plans to continue ahead with Computex 2020 with safety and hygiene measures in place to protect against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Since then, the situation has been evolving and many more events are being cancelled. Computex 2020 is now in question once again, as Taiwan is …

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Just a few weeks ago, TAITRA announced plans to continue ahead with Computex 2020 with safety and hygiene measures in place to protect against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Since then, the situation has been evolving and many more events are being cancelled. Computex 2020 is now in question once again, as Taiwan is closing its borders. 

As shared by the Taoyuan Airport Twitter account, starting from March 19th, foreign nationals will be barred from entering Taiwan and travellers arriving in Taiwan must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

We don't actually know how long these measures will be in place, so Computex could theoretically still take place in early June. However, it does seem that TAITRA will need to re-examine the situation and issue another update. The last statement came on the 25th of February and much has changed since then.

So far, we have not heard of any major companies cancelling plans to attend Computex 2020.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Computex taking place in June is starting to look less likely, which would be a shame but large events are of course not recommended at this time in order to slow the spread of the virus. 

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Computex set to go ahead as planned despite Coronvirus outbreak https://www.kitguru.net/channel/computex/james-dawson/computex-set-to-go-ahead-as-planned-despite-coronvirus-outbreak/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/computex/james-dawson/computex-set-to-go-ahead-as-planned-despite-coronvirus-outbreak/#respond Sat, 08 Feb 2020 13:04:45 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=450671 Since the outbreak in China of the 2019-nCoV virus (Coronavirus), the tech industry has faced concerns about whether the outbreak will impact PC and component production. Apple is already potentially facing shortages due to the temporary closure of its assembly lines at Foxconn and Pegatron. Now Nintendo Switch production is facing delays, with other manufacturers …

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Since the outbreak in China of the 2019-nCoV virus (Coronavirus), the tech industry has faced concerns about whether the outbreak will impact PC and component production. Apple is already potentially facing shortages due to the temporary closure of its assembly lines at Foxconn and Pegatron. Now Nintendo Switch production is facing delays, with other manufacturers likely to feel the strain of reduced production too.

As well as the problem of reduced manufacturing and the obvious personal concerns surrounding the 2019-nCoV virus outbreak. Organisers of big events in the area are facing challenges too. One of the largest tech industry events set to take place very close to the area where the 2019-nCoV outbreak began, is the annual Computex show in Taiwan. There have been rumours around the tech industry about whether Computex will go ahead as planned or if it could be delayed until later in the year.

Currently, Taiwan is holding out from a major 2019-nCoV outbreak with only 17 confirmed cases reported on the Coronavirus outbreak tracker. However, since China and Taiwan are separated by just a 110-mile strait and share the same language, the number of goods and people moving between the two countries is high. Therefore, there is a possibility of a larger outbreak in Taiwan which could pose a serious problem at Computex with individuals from the tech industry around the world attending.

A similar outbreak of the SARS virus in 2003 threatened Computex. After polling registered attendees, Computex organisers decided to postpone the event until later in the year. Computex 2020 is scheduled to run from 2nd – 6th June this year and the event organiser, TAITRA has begun official registrations for the show. The organiser recently put out a press release what provided reassurances about travel to and from the show, as well as details about health care facilities in Taiwan.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: let's hope better medication to treat the Coronavirus arrives in the coming months and countries become completely free of the virus once again. Are you going to Computex 2020 and feeling a little concerned about the chance of being infected by 2019-nCoV virus? Or have you decided not to attend due to the risk involved?

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Taiwan Fair Trade Commission fines Qualcomm over $700 million https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/taiwan-fair-trade-commission-fines-qualcomm-over-700-million/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/taiwan-fair-trade-commission-fines-qualcomm-over-700-million/#respond Wed, 11 Oct 2017 14:04:10 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=349945 Qualcomm has been fighting various antitrust charges over the last couple of years. At first, the company was fined $975 million in China, then in 2016 regulators in South Korea fined the company over $850 million. The European Union has ruled against Qualcomm in an antitrust case and now, the chip maker has been fined …

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Qualcomm has been fighting various antitrust charges over the last couple of years. At first, the company was fined $975 million in China, then in 2016 regulators in South Korea fined the company over $850 million. The European Union has ruled against Qualcomm in an antitrust case and now, the chip maker has been fined over $700 million for anti-competitive practises in Taiwan.

The Taiwan Fair Trade Commission announced today that it will fine Qualcomm $774.14 million for anti-trust violations. In a statement translated by Reuters, the Commission said that Qualcomm had a monopoly over the LTE, CDMA and WCDMA chip markets and refused to license its technology to certain other companies in the industry.

Aside from the fine, the Taiwanese authorities are requiring Qualcomm to begin playing nice when it comes to patent licensing agreements. The chip maker must also submit a progress report every six months to show progress towards a fix.

This isn’t the only antitrust ruling Qualcomm has to worry about. The Federal Trade Commission over in the US is also investigating the company following accusations made by Apple. The likes of Samsung and Intel have also spoken out in support of the FTC’s investigation, claiming that Qualcomm harms the industry.

KitGuru Says: At this point, Qualcomm has been called out on antitrust violations in multiple countries and continents. With this much smoke surrounding the issue, it seems clear that some changes are needed.

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KitGuru visits Gigabyte’s Nan Ping factory https://www.kitguru.net/channel/computex/jon-martindale/kitguru-visits-gigabytes-nan-ping-factory/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/computex/jon-martindale/kitguru-visits-gigabytes-nan-ping-factory/#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2015 08:32:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252873 Gigabyte is one of those companies that has been a big name in the enthusiast PC industry for a long, long time. It makes motherboards, graphics cards, peripherals, laptops, tablets and more and all of them need putting together at some point. Which is why when we were given the chance to investigate the company's …

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Gigabyte is one of those companies that has been a big name in the enthusiast PC industry for a long, long time. It makes motherboards, graphics cards, peripherals, laptops, tablets and more and all of them need putting together at some point. Which is why when we were given the chance to investigate the company's manufacturing facility in Nan Ping, we jumped at it.

P4960853

Established in 2000, Gigabyte's Taiwanese fabrication plant was the only PC motherboard factory in the country at the time. It currently employs some 1150 people, with over 70 per cent of the employees having worked there for more than 10 years.

P4960855 P4960898

The facility can handle everything from a new product run, where just a pilot program is initiated, to low volume products with high flexibility, all the way up to mass production on a grand scale. Indeed within the same facility, Gigabyte produces notebooks, mobile phone products, motherboards, graphics cards and server hardware.

In total, it produces over 575,000 products a month, 400,000 of which are motheroards.

P4960881 P4960882

The process for making one of the company's popular mainboards, begins with the Fuji GPX HD printer, which prints out the barebones circuit board before any components are mounted.

P4960885 P4960886

There is a mix of automation and manual stages with a motherboard's construction, with the most important components soldered into place by machine.

P4960902

It's nice to see that even industry professionals can forget which way up a USB drive goes. Thank god for type C.

P4960911 P4960919

Towards the end of the chain, the human workers get involved, though an automated machine handles the soldering of the solid capacitors.

P4960929 P4960936

After a board rolls off the production line, it is checked over to make sure it is of the highest quality, with several aspects tested before it's packaged up and shipped out the door.

P4960954 P4960957

No word yet on whether our man on the scene, Leo Waldock, got to keep his anti-static slippers.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I hope he's bringing a some spares back for me. I could use a new pair for relaxing in. 

 

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Computex initial press event is slick, but fails to impress https://www.kitguru.net/channel/computex/jon-martindale/computex-initial-press-event-is-slick-but-fails-to-impress/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/computex/jon-martindale/computex-initial-press-event-is-slick-but-fails-to-impress/#respond Mon, 01 Jun 2015 14:20:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252131 The art of a press conference is a fine one. It's hard to impress a room of jaded journalists unless you have something amazing to show them and even then, you better have something solid to back it up with as the questions that will come rapid fire after the debut will likely cut to …

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The art of a press conference is a fine one. It's hard to impress a room of jaded journalists unless you have something amazing to show them and even then, you better have something solid to back it up with as the questions that will come rapid fire after the debut will likely cut to the core of what you're showing off. Perhaps that is why even though the initial press event at Computex went off without a hitch, our man on the scene found it a little dull.

computex01

The show kicked off with a introduction by Walter Yeh, executive VP of Taiwan's External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), who welcomed everyone present to the show and talked up some of what would be showcased during the multi-day event. He reiterated throughout the speech how important the IT industry is to Taiwan, though it's clear from how many products come out of the company that it's a symbiotic relationship, since the world relies a lot on Taiwanese electronics expertise for its products and services.

computex02

This year Computex has some key themes, much of which is related to remote storage and processing, as well as discrete networking and easy to use software. This will come together in the form of mobile internet connected devices, which are also able to communicate with one another over the Internet of Things (Iot).

computex03

Also taking the stage during the opening conference was Li Chang, deputy secretary general of the Taipei Computer Association. He backed up much of what Mr Yeh said, highlighting the abundance of innovation and product development that takes place within Taiwan. However he curiously didn't mention gaming at all. In-fact, it didn't feature at any point during the press event.

computex04

There was also a congratulatory event for some of the d&i award winners. The Gold recipients will be presented with their prizes in the morning.

KitGuru Says: It's surprising that Taiwanese officials didn't seem bothered by gaming. While it's not everything the IT industry is about, it does drive much of the enthusiast PC market.

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EHA announces European Hardware Awards at Computex https://www.kitguru.net/channel/andrzej/eha-announces-european-hardware-awards-at-computex/ Fri, 24 Apr 2015 12:36:08 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=246539 The European Hardware Awards is an annual selection of the very best hardware available in the European market and its inaugural presentation will take place on the opening day of Computex 2015 in Taipei. The awards are chosen by a panel of experts, known as the European Hardware Association. The European Hardware Association was founded …

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The European Hardware Awards is an annual selection of the very best hardware available in the European market and its inaugural presentation will take place on the opening day of Computex 2015 in Taipei.

The awards are chosen by a panel of experts, known as the European Hardware Association.

The European Hardware Association was founded by a group of the largest and most influential independent hardware review sites across the European region. Each member has a massive local audience, strong focus on hardware and an adherence to scientific testing & objective analysis.

The founder members include KitGuru.net, Hardware.Info (The Netherlands), Hardwareluxx (Germany), Cowcotland (France), Hardware Upgrade (Italy), Hispazone (Spain), PurePC.pl (Poland) and Lab 501 (Romania).

Together, these sites:-

  • Host over 20 million visits a month
  • Attract almost half a million followers on Facebook
  • Have published over 100,000 articles
  • Have completed millions of individual, scientific tests on hardware going back many years

European-Hardware-Awards-Members

The European Hardware Association has unparalleled knowledge of the IT market and is uniquely positioned to nominate and present the European Hardware Awards.

The European Hardware Association members are committed to establishing these awards as the premium recognition for exceptional hardware being sold in the European Union – something that consumers across the region will come to look for as a marque of trust.

The extensive evaluation and voting process takes place throughout May, with the winners being announced during a special presentation at the Taipei International Convention on 2nd June 2015.

European Hardware Association Logo - 500px

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: We will keep you up to date on the nominees, event and winners. You can find out more about these awards over on the EHA web site.

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Three day gaming binge kills Taiwanese man https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/andrzej/three-day-gaming-binge-kills-taiwanese-man/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/andrzej/three-day-gaming-binge-kills-taiwanese-man/#comments Sun, 18 Jan 2015 15:42:58 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=231172 After a 72-hour session playing combat games in a Taiwanese internet cafe, Mr Hsieh slumped down for what his neighbours thought was a nap. He never woke up. KitGuru takes a look at the details. Regular travellers normally have a system to deal with long haul flights. We know that sitting in one position for …

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After a 72-hour session playing combat games in a Taiwanese internet cafe, Mr Hsieh slumped down for what his neighbours thought was a nap. He never woke up. KitGuru takes a look at the details.

Regular travellers normally have a system to deal with long haul flights. We know that sitting in one position for an extended period of time is not good, so we'll normally engage in a number of behaviours to counter the effects of long term sitting, including:

  • Special socks
  • Loose clothing to allow blood flow
  • Getting up and moving around at regular intervals to boost circulation
  • Plenty of liquid refreshment – especially water
  • Massaging your legs and stretching
  • Popping half an aspirin to thin the blood

And that kind of behaviour is for a flight lasting less than 12 hours. Sitting in outdoor clothing at a computer terminal for a 72 hour game playing session might seem ‘soft', but it can put a serious strain on the human body.

Even so, any kind of illness is rare when gaming – as long as you are sensible.

Seeking wisdom on the subject, KitGuru spoke with Stewart Fletcher from Multiplay who told us that in 15 years of running more than 50 of the world's largest LAN party events, no one has as much as ‘fainted at their keyboard' at Insomnia. Essentially, the the events are very active and tournaments take place across multiple halls. Players are constantly active and there is no possibility for injury/illness.

Man-dies-gaming-taiwan-KitGuru

KitGuru says: It seems that the authorities in Taiwan will be increasing patrols through game centres, making sure that people get up and move every two hours. We applaud this approach. Even this small precaution is likely to prevent any further incidents – despite what you might hear in the tabloids.

How long is too long when it comes to computer games?   Let us know about your longest marathon gaming session over on Facebook.

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Taiwan to investigate Chinese firm over security threats https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/taiwan-to-investigate-chinese-firm-over-security-threats/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/taiwan-to-investigate-chinese-firm-over-security-threats/#respond Wed, 24 Sep 2014 08:52:00 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=213302 Taiwan's government has announced that it is currently undergoing an investigation into the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi Inc, over claims that its products and services were a security risk. Potentially the budget smartphone maker could see its products banned in the country entirely. The problem it seems, stems from the fact that Xiaomi phones, have …

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Taiwan's government has announced that it is currently undergoing an investigation into the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi Inc, over claims that its products and services were a security risk. Potentially the budget smartphone maker could see its products banned in the country entirely.

The problem it seems, stems from the fact that Xiaomi phones, have been found sending information to the developer's servers hosted in Beijing China automatically, without user intervention. Taiwan's governing body sees this as a potential security threat, since it's not clear at this time what sort of data is being transmitted.

thenet
I know who's responsible for this…

China has a bit of a reputation for invading other nations digitally, with some branches of its military rumoured to be essentially operating as rogue states in terms of their hacking. The US makes quite regular claims of hacking attempts by Chinese security experts, though China usually lobs the accusations back at America and calls it a hypocrite.

However this could well be a instance of Taiwan being paranoid about spying, rather than any legitimate threat, as Japanese software is also being targeted. As Reuters reports, instant messaging application, Line, will be banned from government computers due to similar security concerns.

Taiwanese authorities have also been campaigning for people not to use the Chinese firm Tencent's messaging application WeChat too.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is ridiculous when the US accuses anyone of hacking, considering we know what it's been capable of over the past few years via the NSA's schemes. 

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Wavemaster MOBI-2 picks up Red Dot design award https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/speakers/bill-smyth/wavemaster-mobi-2-picks-up-red-dot-design-award/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/speakers/bill-smyth/wavemaster-mobi-2-picks-up-red-dot-design-award/#respond Sun, 30 Mar 2014 09:57:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=184999 Since 1955, Red Dot has brought together some of the world's most respected designers and sifted through a broad range of products, in an attempt to find the best of the best and recognise great design with an award. The results for 2014 are in and a KitGuru Must Have winner has done quite well. …

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Since 1955, Red Dot has brought together some of the world's most respected designers and sifted through a broad range of products, in an attempt to find the best of the best and recognise great design with an award. The results for 2014 are in and a KitGuru Must Have winner has done quite well.

From its humble origins in Essen, Germany in 1955, Red Dot has grown into a truly global global brand in its own right.

It now has permanent museums, dedicated to great design, in Germany Singapore and Taiwan – as well as mobile exhibitions that tour the world.

Previous winners include Porsche, Bose, BMW, Philips and Braun. Pretty decent company.

So how does it work?

Well, every year between 5 and 10,000 products will be submitted to the panel. Each will be categorised into Household, Vehicles, entertainment etc and after much discussion and comparison, just over 70 ‘Best of the Best' awards will be handed out alongside a larger number of more general awards.

The Wavemaster MOBI-2 is, right now, the best selling mobile speaker of its kind in Germany and the company has plans to bring its ‘German Design, Far East Build' products to the rest of the world shortly.

Buying any audio product according to how it looks is just dumb, but if the audio quality is good, then good looks are a nice bonus.

Wavemaster-MOBI-2-Red-Dot-Design-Award-KitGuru

KitGuru says: It's nice that the Red Dot panel agreed with our assessment.

Let us know what you think by engaging with over 177,000 KitGuru followers over on Facebook.

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Samsung fined for faked online comments https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/samsung-fined-for-faked-online-comments/ Fri, 25 Oct 2013 10:33:01 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=159253 Samsung has been fined $340,000 after being caught paying for negative comments about competitor products and paying for praise of its own. To a company like Samsung, $340,000 is nothing at all but this could damage its reputation. Samsung was first accused of this back in April, shortly after, the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission announced …

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Samsung has been fined $340,000 after being caught paying for negative comments about competitor products and paying for praise of its own. To a company like Samsung, $340,000 is nothing at all but this could damage its reputation. Samsung was first accused of this back in April, shortly after, the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission announced it would investigate the claims.

Samsung used a large number of its own employees and writers to post in Taiwanese forums, which FTC found was done through a third party marketing company. Two local marketing firms were also fined $100,000 each for taking part in Samsung's scheme.

Since the Galaxy S2 and S3 were so popular it seems odd that the company felt threatened enough to resort to these tactics. HTC seemed to be the main victim here, with most of the competition denouncing comments being aimed at the popular HTC One device.

In the official report HTC wasn't specifically mentioned but it did say that Samsung paid people to “highlight the shortcomings of competing products.” Positive comments about Samsung's own products included: “disinfection of negative news about Samsung products, palindromic Samsung product marketing and the positive evaluation of Samsung products.”

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This only happened in Taiwan so either Samsung was worried about losing that market or it just hasn't been caught doing this in other territories.

This isn't a good streak the company's on, first it was caught cheating on benchmarks and now it has been caught being anti-competitive. It all makes the phone maker seem a bit shady and to top it off it was all unnecessary, as the phones it makes are good and tend to sell very well, year on year.

KitGuru Says: It's a shame to see these kinds of dodgy business practices when more money could have been spent on making products better or maybe even getting the latest Android version out anywhere near on time.  

Source: The Verge

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Taichung Computer Show kicks off in Taiwan https://www.kitguru.net/channel/event/harrison/taichung-computer-show-kicks-off-in-taiwan/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/event/harrison/taichung-computer-show-kicks-off-in-taiwan/#respond Mon, 05 Aug 2013 10:30:54 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=145908 In terms of physical size, Taiwan is pretty close to Wales, but when it comes to population then the folks in Taff/Gogg land look positively stagnant in comparison. For while there are only 3 million people in Wales, Taiwan has close to 9 times as many inhabitants. Stands to reason that it might want more …

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In terms of physical size, Taiwan is pretty close to Wales, but when it comes to population then the folks in Taff/Gogg land look positively stagnant in comparison. For while there are only 3 million people in Wales, Taiwan has close to 9 times as many inhabitants. Stands to reason that it might want more than one computer show. KitGuru avoids the stinky tofu and investigates.

With around 3 million people living in the whole of Wales, Taiwan's 3rd city of Taichung comes in pretty close to parity with a little over 2.6 million locals. Starting 9th August and running through to the 13th of August the Taichung Computer Association Show is hoping to increase in importance for both the local population and visitors from nearby countries.

Back in 2010, the show had space for around 250 booths, but managed to get applications for more than 400 spaces.

The organiser's Chairman, Sun Teng-yuan, was quotes way back in 2012 as saying “Central Taiwan needs a large-scale exhibition center” and he got his wish, with a major development kicking off close to the airport.Initially, they were planning for a space that would house 2,000 booths – with a move to 3,000 coming later. Wowzer.

If you live in the UK, this is just incredible.

Companies like Luxa2 and Asus are taking advantage of this show to present their latest products to a brand new audience.

See the latest in Luxa2 accessories plus cool products from Asus and Acer at the Taichung Computer Show
See the latest in Luxa2 accessories plus cool products from Asus and Acer at the Taichung Computer Show

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KitGuru says: It looks like this show is going from strength to strength, but we're still a little disappointed that the UK lags behind when it comes to major technology shows. Apart from The Gadget Show and Multiplay's i-Series, there are very few opportunities for Brits to get hands on with the latest and greatest in tech. Why are we so poor at events?  Is it just because we're so used to searching/buying online?

Comment below, in the KitGuru forums or join us online over at Facebook.

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Computex: Plextor SSD goes from Fast to Furious https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/peter/plextor-ssd-goes-from-fast-to-furious/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/peter/plextor-ssd-goes-from-fast-to-furious/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2013 05:45:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=137313 Plextor has always been about quality and durability when it comes to storage. In the past it was always about media readers for disks and CDs, but over the last several years they have expanded to SSD's, under the ‘PLDS' (Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions) umbrella. That's all good, but that's history. Plextor is pushing …

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Plextor has always been about quality and durability when it comes to storage. In the past it was always about media readers for disks and CDs, but over the last several years they have expanded to SSD's, under the ‘PLDS' (Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions) umbrella. That's all good, but that's history. Plextor is pushing forward. KitGuru pulls on a pair of in-line skates and hitches a ride.

Having global brands like Philips as your big brother can't do anyone any harm. Not that Plextor is lightweight by any means. They grew hand-in-hand with Sony, making devices that could read CD's when no other device could even recognise that the same CD was in the drive.
Plextor-Stand-Computex-2013-KitGuru1

They have embraced the Marvell 88SS9187 chips, combined with TLC (Triple-level cell) NAND-based flash memory and enhanced them with rock solid firmware ensuring read/write speeds of up to 540/470 MB/s and random read write of 100,000/88,000 IOPS.

While Plextor is not the only SSD to use the Marvell chipsets and TLC-NAND, they do compliment them with a solid plus in firmware if you want a good SSD investment.
Plextor-Lady-KitGuru-Computex1

Plextor-SSD-Durability-KitGuru1

KitGuru says: Well received by technology sites and customers across Europe over the past 12 months of so, it now seems that Plextor has its eye on more of a leadership position going forward. With a solid R&D push, this should be interesting – we recommend you watch this space.

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Via helps boost 3D creativity with JAM https://www.kitguru.net/channel/event/jules/via-helps-boost-3d-creativity-with-jam/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/event/jules/via-helps-boost-3d-creativity-with-jam/#respond Wed, 22 May 2013 08:04:22 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=135450 Founded in 1987, Via Technologies is a fabless creator of chipsets, processors, memory and other electronics products. Right now, they are causing a stir in the market for a different reason. Jam. Nope, it has nothing to do with cooked fruits and sugar. This Jam is all about creativity – through the new science of …

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Founded in 1987, Via Technologies is a fabless creator of chipsets, processors, memory and other electronics products. Right now, they are causing a stir in the market for a different reason. Jam. Nope, it has nothing to do with cooked fruits and sugar. This Jam is all about creativity – through the new science of 3D printing. KitGuru prepares for sticky fingers.

Back in the late seventies a tall, young English chap called Richard Brown developed an interest in the Far East. We're talking about a time in the UK when everything from ‘outside' was viewed with huge suspicion. Each town would have one or two Chinese takeaways – all of which had to adapt their menus to accommodate weak stomachs that liked only fish and chips, bangers and mash.

Richard ended up studying for a degree at London University's School of Oriental and African Studies. His year out was spent in parts of China, he fell in love with the place and never looked back. After joining Via, he rapidly made his way up through the company's ranks and he's now Via's VP for International Marketing. Highly unusual for a non-Chinese person to be playing at that level in China – believe us!

Enough background, what's all this about the Jam?

Via firmly believes that 3D printing will change the world in ways that we don't yet fully understand. While there is concern in the USA that children will be able to print guns and kill each other even more, there is a very cool, totally safe side to 3D printing that Via is trying to encourage.

Richard told us, “3D printing is starting to take off in Taiwan but still in its early stages”.

So what's the event about?

“It's a two day event where we teach people how to create and print 3D files. The aim is to get people to learn the technology and hopefully show their creativity”, said Richard. “We've held a couple of events so far and it's gone really well”.

We all know what it's like when presented with a brand new way to ‘do stuff'. It takes a while, and a little encouragement, to wrap your head around it and to see the possibilities. We have to applaud Via for its foresight here.

Judging from the Jam shots Richard sent over, creativity seems to start ‘close to home' – doll's houses in this case. So what is the most practical application Via has found for this new technology?

“With jam, our aim is to promote creativity”, he explained. “With Via, 3D printing has allowed for fast prototyping – for example the cases for our APC board”.

For those not familiar with APC, it was launched as a ‘complete system on a board' – complete with OS and NAND – for around $49. Technically, we suppose it could be called a Neo-ITX, but whatever label you give it – it is small, it is cheap and it is cool. Which leaves you the possibility of designing your own custom case for it. Enter 3D printing.

Here are some shots from Via's latest Jam session in Taiwan:-

Welcome sign for Via's 3D Printing Jam
Welcome sign for Via's 3D Printing Jam
Group hug for all the happy people involved
Group hug for all the happy people involved
Teams hard at it in the design stage
Teams hard at it in the design stage
3D printing in action. It's almost like watching paint dry. Almost.
3D printing in action. It's almost like watching paint dry. Almost.
Watch out Ikea!  It's the Via 3D Printing Jam on the attack!
Watch out Ikea! It's the Via 3D Printing Jam on the attack!

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KitGuru says: We find this whole area fascinating. For those of us who grew up with IBM golf ball printers – with Start Trek replicators on our TV screens – the idea of practical, affordable 3D printing for all is very appealing.

Comment below, in the KitGuru forums or join us online over at Facebook.

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Taiwan solves demand problem using simple logic https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/harrison/taiwan-solves-demand-problem-using-simple-logic/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/harrison/taiwan-solves-demand-problem-using-simple-logic/#respond Thu, 29 Dec 2011 07:30:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=71850 The world's economy has been limping along for almost 4 years now, with no obvious end in site. Every time we, as consumers, do something clever like ‘reduce fuel consumption' – the suppliers increase prices to maintain their profits. We're all locked in a strange, economic quicksand with the same question: How can we make …

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The world's economy has been limping along for almost 4 years now, with no obvious end in site. Every time we, as consumers, do something clever like ‘reduce fuel consumption' – the suppliers increase prices to maintain their profits. We're all locked in a strange, economic quicksand with the same question: How can we make progress?

Nowhere is this issue more apparent than Taiwan, where the majority of the world's technology-production companies sit and ponder “Where will growth come from?”

Now it seems that Christina Liu, minister for Economic Planning and Development, has a solution.

Her team believes that the 23 million people living IN Taiwan itself, need to do more. Specifically, that they need to buy more of the technology being made at home.

Specifically, she has announced that, “Although Taiwan is an export-oriented country, the main driver of the island's economic growth needs to be switched from exports only to domestic consumption”.

Hard to argue with that kind of logic, but is Taiwan big enough to help itself? The technique has certainly worked in much bigger countries. For example, a few years back, the price of Basmati rice shot up as India was finally able to use as much of this premium quality rice as it was able to produce. The increase in home demand, meant that rice producers could increase prices everywhere else and that had a knock-on effect on the country's incomes – increase the amount of disposable income, which in turn drove other areas of the economy.

That said, there is a big difference from 23 million to 1 billion, and more people eat rice than use Asus Transformers.

Taking no chances, Christina is also heading up major delegations to Hong Kong, Singapore and India, in an attempt to stimulate growth across the whole of Asia for Taiwanese goods.

Christina Liu estimates how many products bought in the UK, will be made in the UK

KitGuru says: We in the UK and USA might all end up looking like residents of Goglafrincham if we carry on exporting all of our product production to developing nations and leaving nothing for ourselves but insurance, hair dressing and cooking. It might sound like a joke now, but will it be so funny in 100 years time? Why is the Taiwanese government so intense when it comes to developing this kind of aggressive strategy, while our ‘leaders' seem content to rely on market forces? Bizarre.

Comment below or in the KitGuru forums.

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Picking showgirls is tough work (apparently) https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/faith/picking-showgirls-is-tough-work-apparently/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/faith/picking-showgirls-is-tough-work-apparently/#comments Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:41:41 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=30428 During a recent visit to a test facility, KitGuru undercover agents managed to gain entry to a very unusual meeting. It was at Thermaltake's brand new Taipei office block and the meeting was to find the ladies who would be running the all important booth at Computex 2011 in June. It was hard work, but …

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During a recent visit to a test facility, KitGuru undercover agents managed to gain entry to a very unusual meeting. It was at Thermaltake's brand new Taipei office block and the meeting was to find the ladies who would be running the all important booth at Computex 2011 in June. It was hard work, but someone had to do it.

Every year, the entire world's supply of manufacturers, buyers, resellers, distributors and IT industry hacks decends on Taipei for the first week in June.

The event is Computex, a technology showcase that allows the Far East companies a perfect stage to show off their wares to a waiting world.

Spread across 2 enormous venues, the event has thousands of exhibitors and those stands will be seen by around 25,000 buyers from across the globe.

Given the importance of the event, the big question becomes, how can you stand out?

Alongside the obvious options like (a) have a unique product that no one has ever seen before and (b) building a stand to rival the pyramids, the most popular choice is the showgirl.

No matter how bright the costume, it's hard work. Morning to night, working hard to attract people onto the stand – and the obligatory shows once an hour – just in case you have not been doing enough already.

So how does a major manufacturer like Thermaltake choose which people should be on hand/stand to make the enormous investment worthwhile?  Having seen inside, it seems like a constant stream of interviews and try-outs.

The ladies must be able to woo and control a crowd, while at the same time making the technology as  interesting/appealing as possible. Here's a little sneak-peak…

Tony (left) and Charlotte (right) lead one of many selection committee meetings that start in January
Latest group of hopefuls who want to add Computex to their CVs
Applicants need to prove that they can work the crowd - only a handful of the +100 applicants will be successful
World's first demonstration of the new Tt eSports headset at Computex 2010

KitGuru says: So there you have it, it's real work (for applicants and the selection commitee) and the competition is stiff.

Comments below. Also, do you have any suggestions (male or female) for who should be manning stands at major technology shows

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