Biing-seng Wu has spent most of his career developing tiny chips that tell pixels on flat-screen displays how and when to light up. Twenty-five years ago, he teamed up with his brother Jordan Wu to develop such chips for screens. Today, products from their company, Himax Technologies Inc., can be found in everything from Lamborghinis to smartwatches, and have turned the duo into billionaires. The brothers own 24% of Himax, whose US-listed shares have more than doubled in value this year. Their stake in the Tainan, Taiwan-based firm, as well as proceeds from dividends and stock sales, give them a combined $1 billion net worth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which is valuing them for the first time. The wealth marks a big milestone for the siblings and their company, which says it holds a 40% market share for display chips - known in the industry as driver integrated circuits - used in cars. Its customers include Ferrari NV, Volkswagen AG, Porsche and more. It's...
The Shahed drone's biggest strength is that it is very cheap to build and deploy, but gives the effect of a much more powerful weapon than its size. Others may be forced to expend their pricey anti-drone missiles, making interception of the Shahed drones a costly affair. Most weaponised drones have range and weight limitations. The Shahed works around these by acting as a drone and a cruise missile rolled into one. The Shahed-136, for example, can reach a maximum of 2,500 km. Iran has been able to launch the Shahed drones from deep within its territory, far away from any prying eyes. This has ensured their survivability and unpredictableness. Its payload capability is also good, at par with its range strength. The Shahed drones fly at very low altitude, powered by a basic piston propulsion system. When these qualities are combined with its small radar signature, they are hard to detect in areas where the terrain is uneven. Some have called the Shahed drones' engine noise t...