Taiwan-exclusive boba toy designer says no to scalpers

Taiwan-exclusive boba toy designer says no to scalpers

2024-09-19

An international designer toy brand has launched a limited edition figure inspired by Taiwanese bubble tea, priced at nearly NT$6,000. The announcement has sparked intense discussion, with concerns about scalpers reselling the item after its release. To combat this, sales will be conducted through a lottery system over three days, and purchases must be made under real-name registration.

Chou Jung-Hsan
FTV Reporter
Taiwan’s most famous drink is undoubtedly bubble tea. Now, even international designer toy brands are drawing inspiration from it to launch globally limited figures, making it clear to everyone that this comes from Taiwan.

The figure features a bubble-tea color scheme with big, round, adorable eyes. From its belly to its feet, it is covered in clusters of black sugar pearls, resembling the beloved drink.

Yeh Chien-Yu
Toy company PR head
We hope to strengthen our connection with local consumers, which is why we chose to use bubble tea—Taiwan’s most popular beverage—as our inspiration.

From Sept. 20 to Sept. 22, the public will be able to participate in an online lottery for three consecutive days. The winners will be announced on Sept. 24, and the limited sale will take place from Sept. 27 to Sept. 29. Many fans are eagerly preparing to bag the Taiwan-exclusive item.

Member of public
I would want to buy it because it’s a Taiwan exclusive, and I usually collect these kinds of things.

In addition to the figure, the brand will also host a special exhibition at its flagship store, which will run for a month. However, after the launch of the “egg tart” limited edition in Macau, scalpers appeared online selling it at inflated prices.

Yeh Chien-Yu
Toy company PR head
To ensure fairness in the availability of our products, we will be using a lottery system for sales. Additionally, purchases will require real-name registration to minimize issues with scalpers.

To prevent similar incidents from recurring, the company will implement protective measures. That way, it’ less likely the Taiwan-exclusive bubble-tea figure will become a tool for scalpers.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

台灣限定！潮玩品牌推「珍奶公仔」防黃牛祭出實名制購買

2024-09-19

國際潮玩品牌，以台灣珍珠奶茶發想，推出限定公仔。一隻要價將近六千元，消息一出就已經引發熱烈討論。擔心開賣後會有黃牛炒作，這次特別以抽選方式，限時三天，也必須實名制購買。

[[民視記者周容萱]]
“台灣最出名的食物，當然非珍珠奶茶莫屬了。現在就連國際潮玩品牌，也用珍奶發想，推出全球限定公仔，讓玩家一看就知道，這來自台灣”

奶茶色裝扮，圓圓大眼可愛公仔，從肚子到腳，全部都是一顆顆的黑糖珍珠。

[[潮玩品牌公關處長葉倩妤]]
“我們希望可以跟在地的消費者有更強的連結，所以我們選擇使用珍珠奶茶，是台灣最熱門最火紅的飲料做一個結合。”

自20號到22號一連三天，開放民眾線上抽選，中獎名單24號公布，並自27號至29號限時三天販售。不少粉絲早已摩拳擦掌，等著把這台灣限定款入袋。

[[民眾]]
“會(想買)，因為它是台灣限定的，而且平常都有在蒐集”

不只公仔，品牌也在旗艦店，同步推出限定特展，將一連展出一個月。只是，業者先前在澳門推出的"蛋塔"限定款，網路上卻出現黃牛高價賣出。

[[潮玩品牌公關處長葉倩妤]]
“為了要求達到商品的公平性，所以我們接下來會使用抽選的方式，那購買的方式也會用實名制的問題，來盡量杜絕黃牛這樣的問題”

避免類似事件重演，特別作了防堵機制！就不希望台灣限定珍奶公仔，成了黃牛炒作工具。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Related News

Taipei a haven for super rich

2024-09-19

China to end tariff exemptions on selected Taiwanese produce

2024-09-19

China holds a Taiwanese businessman hostage

Many Taiwanese people travel to China for business or tourism, but an increasing number are facing questioning and difficulties when crossing borders. Recently, a senior executive from Formosa Plastics Group was questioned immediately after landing in Shanghai earlier this month. Although he was eventually released, he has been unable to return to Taiwan, effectively being receiving an exit ban. DPP lawmakers have called on the Chinese side to ensure the safety of foreign nationals, stating that even if there are reasons for detention, a proper explanation should be provided.

Wu Cheng-han
FTV reporter
A senior executive from Formosa Plastics flew to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and was immediately taken to a small interrogation room by Chinese authorities upon landing. Although he was eventually released, it has been half a month since the incident, and he has still not been allowed to return to Taiwan, effectively being subjected to and exit ban.

With cross-strait tensions rising, the risks for Taiwanese citizens traveling to China have increased significantly. The Mainland Affairs Council is aware of the situation regarding the executive, but they have not yet received any requests for assistance from his family. The Council warns that discussing or comparing the political systems of both sides online, praising Taiwan’s democracy; commenting on China’s economic downturn and rising youth unemployment; or even running for public office in Taiwan could all lead to detention.

Chen Kuan-ting
DPP Legislator
This clearly shows that Chinese state security personnel can charge individuals with anything they want. We strongly condemn such practices by the Chinese authorities, and hope that China will prioritize the basic safety of foreign nationals engaged in business, tourism, and education within its borders.

The ruling party has strongly criticized the expansion of powers by Chinese authorities. It has been reported that the Formosa Plastics executive is involved in a criminal case that is under investigation, which is why he has not been allowed to return to Taiwan. Still, the ruling party is demanding an explanation about what has happened.

Rosalia Wu
DPP lawmaker
Regardless of academic or cultural exchanges, all activities should be based on goodwill. Using such ambiguous methods, with the true reasons still unclear, infringes on the rights of Taiwanese people in China. We must protest against these actions.

The DPP caucus has urged China to show goodwill and ensure the safety of Taiwanese people in civilian exchanges. Detaining individuals without providing reasons will only deepen the doubts Taiwanese people have towards China.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-09-19

Instagram Teen Accounts protect young users, Asia rollout next year

Instagram has announced the launch of accounts specifically for teenage users. The accounts of users under 18 will be set to private by default, and there will be restrictions on usage time. Content that is considered age-restricted will be locked, and parents will have the ability to monitor their children’s interactions. This new policy will first be implemented in North America, the UK and Australia, with plans to roll it out in Asia by next year.

Meta’s social media platform Instagram announced on Sept. 17 that it would launch accounts specifically for teenagers. This initiative aims to address calls for increased regulation and protection measures on the platform.

Barbara Ortutay
AP reporter
This means that anyone who has an Instagram account or is opening one who is under 18, will be placed in a special account that’s more restricted.

For teen users who spend more than 60 minutes on Instagram, a reminder notification will pop up. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., the app will automatically enter sleep mode, blocking even direct messages. Additionally, users under 16 will need to obtain parental permission to change their settings.

Member of public
Many people might try to deceive the system by claiming to be adults to access certain content. If there are mechanisms in place, it could help prevent these issues.

Member of public
I was a child once too, and if kids want to get around something, there’s really no way to fully prevent it. Kids are quite clever, and you can’t design overly complicated systems; otherwise, even adults might struggle to use them.

Parents are concerned that excessive use of social media could impact their children’s physical and mental development and lead to learning difficulties. In response to regulatory pressures, there will be enhanced review mechanisms. In the future, content related to violence, fighting, and explicit material will be restricted for underage users.

3C Tim
Tech expert
This is also a kind of trial. Given the increasing number of Instagram users, having restrictions for teenagers can at least help filter out sensitive content. I think this is a positive step.

Experts believe that while the intention behind the new system is positive, its implementation remains to be tested. Currently, the teenage accounts are being rolled out in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia first. Expansion to the EU is expected this year, while Taiwan will have to wait until next year for the new system to take effect.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-09-19

Taiwanese voice actor and Mandarin voice of Stephen Chow Passes Away

2024-09-19

DPP politicians, Taipei mayor mourn late city councilor

2024-09-19

Deaf educator encourages early sign language education

Sept. 23 is the UN’s International Day of Sign Languages. Ku Fang-huai, a doctor of deaf studies and education from Lamar University in Texas, was invited alongside people in the deaf community to share their experience of deaf children’s education. They encourage teaching sign language from a young age to protect the basic wellbeing and interests of the deaf community.

Simple gestures paired with vivid facial expressions make it clear what the other is thinking. To the deaf community, sign language is a crucial form of communication.

Chiu An
Sign language interpreter
I find every translation very rewarding, no matter the size of the interaction. I can help deaf and hearing people communicate with each other. I can help them complete a dialogue or meeting or forum or doctor’s visit, or even something simple. As long as I can help them smoothly complete an interaction, I feel accomplished.

Ku Fang-huai
Signing Village Workshop founder
Sign language is enormously helpful to deaf children. If they can use sign language, they can learn more. They can absorb more information, get a better education, and then find a better job.

There are about 70 million deaf people in the world and over 3 million different kinds of sign language. In Taiwan, sign language doesn’t have a long history. It came out of the Japanese signing family. But with recent advancements under the Development of National Languages Act, Taiwanese signing is getting more attention.

Ford Liao
Taiwan New Century Foundation
It’s a form of communication. If the form is complete and accurate, people are better able to understand what’s being said. On the other hand, the greater consideration is you don’t want to cause more harm from a breakdown in communication. For example, in many legal cases the content is extremely important.

Although there’s still a long way to go before sign language is popularized, advocates hope that through education and promotion, the deaf community can fully enjoy their rights while building a more friendly environment for all people.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-09-19

Interview with Germany’s representative, Eva Langerbeck

Taiwan’s ties with Germany have been flourishing for many years. Recently the relationship reached new heights when TSMC, Taiwan’s star chipmaker, broke ground at its Dresden fab in August. It was the first European venture for the Taiwanese company that makes roughly 90% of the world’s most advanced chips. Our very own FTV reporter Stephany Yang spoke to the new German Trade Representative Eva Langerbeck about Taiwan’s economic ties with Germany. Let’s hear what Langerbeck has to say.

Dr. Eva Langerbeck assumed office in July as the new Chief Representative and Executive Director of German Trade Office Taipei. Langerbeck said one of her main goals is to put more German attention on areas where Taiwan can make a major contribution to Germany’s economy. She pointed to semiconductors.

Eva Langerbeck
German Trade Office Taipei
One of my goals is, of course, number one, increasing the visibility of Taiwan’s strengths of where you can play a vital role for the German economy. One, of course, is semi-conductors, which, thanks to the investment of TSMC, is at the forefront right now. The most successful years were during the COVID years due to the semiconductors, because the demand especially for specialized chips was at an all-time high globally. You can see that in the trade statistics already. When you look at the trade statistics between Germany and Taiwan at the moment, microelectronics and electrical components is still the majority, which I believe is around 30%.

TSMC is currently building a US$11.04 billion fab in Dresden, Germany, in its first expansion into Europe. Production is expected to begin in 2027. Subsidies have been approved by the European Union, and a TSMC delegation visited Germany to familiarize itself with the region and German working culture.

Eva Langerbeck
German Trade Office Taipei
For the TSMC side, of course, there was a groundbreaking ceremony on the 20th of August, which I heard was very successful and was covered extensively in the media. Also, the subsidy has also been approved by the European Union so the project is on track is also what we hear from TSMC. We also had a delegation with Silicon Saxony to Germany for some of the suppliers of TSMC, to introduce them of course to the region and also show them what is on offer: where they could set up companies and also what is the working culture, and so on. And also to ease a bit maybe voices that there could be challenges along the road. This is something we will definitely continue.

Aside from semiconductors, Langerbeck said other areas of collaboration with Taiwan included artificial intelligence, aerospace technologies, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and automation, as well as robotics, health care and renewable energy.

Eva Langerbeck
German Trade Office Taipei
There are other areas where mutual collaboration would be beneficial for both sides. One is artificial intelligence, also automation robotics. The other area would be healthcare, because both of our populations are aging, so that could be pharmaceuticals, biotechnology but also smart healthcare solutions for example. We do have overlap in machinery and also tool manufacturing, because we have a lot of German companies in Taichung, which is the heart of that industry here. And definitely of course also renewable energy. Both of our economy are going through a renewable energy transition at the moment.

Prior to taking up office in Taipei, she earned her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies and worked at the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Langerbeck said she’s eager to further strengthen bilateral trade ties between Taiwan and Germany.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-09-19

Nine-year-old makes app after teaching self to code

One nine-year-old in New Taipei City developed his own budgeting app for a smart watch. After finding other apps too difficult to use, he decided to just make his own. It took half a year, but he taught himself to code and with the help of AI, successfully made a program that can now be found on the app store.

Just enter the date, amount, and type of expense. This smart watch budgeting app is simple and easy to understand. And this is the developer, a nine-year-old nicknamed Sea Horse.

Sea Horse
Young app developer
Most of the better apps are all for the phone, but I don’t have one at the moment. I wanted to learn some programming, so I decided to make a budgeting app.

He drafted every page of these plans by himself. From learning the basics to actually writing the code, Sea Horse spent six months to make the program and upload it to the app store. He also used ChatGPT for help and troubleshooting.

Sea Horse
Young app developer
I started learning some Python in February and started making the app in May. I’m thrilled, because after so long it’s finally in the app store. I want to be a computer engineer. I hope to work at Apple someday.

He may want to become a software engineer in the future, but for now, Sea Horse’s other passion is Doraemon. Everything is covered in the cartoon, from his clothing to his desk. When they were stuck at home during the pandemic, his software engineer father introduced Sea Horse and his sister to coding through games.

Sea Horse’s father
During the pandemic, everyone was home. I saw them lazing around without anything to do, so I made a computer class. Every weekend for one or two hours I taught them a few basic things about computers. As for actually coding, they were welcome to teach themselves whenever they wanted to.

Starfish
Sea Horse’s sister
At the time, Dad said that if we finish a chapter, he’d buy us a comic book. I took it very seriously. It feels like talking to a computer, having a conversation. It’s amazing to watch your program run without any problems.

Not only Sea Horse, but also his sister, Starfish, loves to learn programming languages. To them it’s not complicated, but offers limitless space to display their creativity.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-09-19