YeinJee's Asian blog

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Businesses and companies ( tag archives )

Business news and corporate culture. Information about Asian companies and business development.

Singapore is best place to do business

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Singapore tops the ease of doing business chart for the ninth consecutive year. The ranking is featured in the Doing Business report, published annually by the World Bank Group which measures regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it.

The top 10 economies with the most business-friendly regulatory environments are Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Denmark, South Korea, Norway, United States, United Kingdom, Finland and Australia.

My country Malaysia is ranked at 18th, not bad at all. Economic powerhouse China is ranked at 90th.

Nissan van is NYC new taxicab

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Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan Motor has won a US$1bn (est.) contract to provide the next generation of New York’s iconic yellow taxicab.

Based on Nissan NV200 design, the new NYC taxi, to be introduced in 2013, will have power outlets to plug in phones and laptops; a transparent roof for city views; exterior lights that warn cyclists and pedestrians about opening doors; airbags for passengers; and custom climate controls for each seat (what’s that?).

The Nissan minivan is also said to be very fuel-efficient. And perhaps the most important of all, it’s the cheapest among the three finalists in the billion dollar bid.

The NY Times made an interesting infograph showing the New York City’s taxicab design over the past century. Click image for full size pic…

New York City taxicab history

Apple sues Samsung for copying iPhone

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Samsung Galaxy Tab and Apple iPadApple Inc is suing Korean manufacturer Samsung for copying their entire Galaxy product range from Apple’s iPhone, iPod and iPad designs.

In the lawsuit filed last Friday, Apple claimed that “When a Samsung Galaxy phone is used in public, there can be little doubt that it would be viewed as an Apple product based upon the design alone…”

I have to agree with Apple’s statement, Galaxy products do resemble Apple’s at first glance. However, it’s not necessary the case from a close look, and in a design copyright lawsuit every details matter instead of just a first impression.

Apple should know the facts well, so it’s probably just a business gimmick to halt the growth of Samsung Galaxy, one of its fiercest competitors (though still trailing far behind) in the smartphone and tablet computer markets.

[Update] Samsung is suing Apple for violating its patent rights in return lol.

iPhone maker Foxconn suicide mania

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Foxconn logo12+ suicide attempts with 10 deaths in 2010… the suicide mania at China’s Foxconn manufacturing plants has caused uproar across the region.

Foxconn, a Taiwanese registered corporation, is the world’s largest manufacturer of electronics and computer components. Their main products include Apple’s iPhone (assembler), and also components for Intel, Nintendo and other big brands. Their main plant in Shenzhen, China, employs about 400,000 workers.

The suicide trend came to light in early May following the fifth fatality of the year. Most of the deceased attempted suicide by jumping from their (company provided) dormitory in Shenzhen. Ironically the suicides intensified after the news was widely reported, with five more deaths in just a matter of weeks.

[Read more…] about iPhone maker Foxconn suicide mania

Japan has highest industrial robot density

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There are one million industrial robots around the world (as of Dec 2008), and Japan has the highest density with 295 robots for every 10,000 manufacturing workers.

Top 10 countries by robot density

Singapore and Korea are second and third respectively on the chart, but significantly behind Japan in numbers. Illustration by Mike Vella, more on IEEE.

Singapore tops Asia in competitiveness report

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Singapore tops the Asian ranking in The Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009 conducted by the World Economic Forum (and partners) using both publicly available data and the Executive Opinion Survey.

The annual report assesses the ability of countries to provide high levels of prosperity to their citizens, which in turn depends on how productively a country uses available resources. Thus, the index measures the set of institutions, policies, and factors that set the sustainable current and medium-term levels of economic prosperity.

The top 10 overall ranking are USA, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Singapore, Finland, Germany, Japan and Canada.

The top 10 Asian economic entities are Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China and UAE.