Company banking on early 4G network provision along with November launch of LTE serviceKT Corp. said Monday it was aiming to meet the fast-rising demand for wireless data usage by equipping itself with fourth generation wireless broadband and Long Term Evolution technologies.The country’s biggest fixed-line service operator said it would begin servicing the nation’s capital with its 4G LTE network

SINGAPORE (AFP) ― More virtual livestock looks set to be traded and petulant fowl hurled at targets as social gaming takes hold in the booming mobile phone market, industry experts say.Social gaming, made popular by titles such as “Farmville” and “Angry Birds,” was one of the closely followed topics at last week’s CommunicAsia trade fair in Singapore, where telecom executives meet annually to chec

Parents and friends of Oh Sung-keun called him “crazy” when he quit his job at a local hospital about 10 years ago. It was a well-paying and stable job in Korea, which was reeling from the worst financial crisis in decades in Asia at the time.The financial crisis forced many companies, large and small, to lay off workers as part of self-rescue efforts. Just having a job was regarded as a blessing

NEW YORK (AP) ― Forget the bellhop. Meet the luggage robot.It’s the first of several high-tech, sleek amenities guests encounter at the Yotel, a new hotel that aims to provide a trendy stay at an affordable price.Purple lighting, throbbing music in the elevators and futon-like sofas that transform to lie-flat beds at the touch of a button help set the mood.Or maybe they just distract you from the

PARIS ― Are women in Europe on the verge of becoming an engine for political change? In economic-development circles, experience and common sense suggest that progress, accountability and hard work start with and depend on women. Micro-credits, for example, are much more efficient when women receive and repay them. Perhaps because they bear children and must find the means to feed them, women are

If I had a dollar for every time a Sarah Palin supporter accused me of not taking her seriously because I’m jealous of attractive women who’ve combined powerful careers with large families, I’d be in another tax bracket, one that might encourage me to vote for Ron Paul.Now Michele Bachmann just might shut that crowd up.She’s another attractive conservative mom, and guess what? A whole lot of peopl

As a free-market, limited-government conservative, I find the total implosion of the Greek economy to be the most stunning example of everything I’ve ever tried to warn about in regard to socialism. Despite the rest of Europe and the International Monetary Fund promising last year to give Greece 110 billion euros over three years, the country remains in a death spiral, with its budget deficit at a

CHENNAI, India (AFP) -- Strong religious belief and spirituality coupled with sky-rocketing demand from fashion-conscious Western women has made India the world-leader in the hair extension trade.The South Asian country has long been the world’s biggest exporter of human hair and companies involved in the sector estimate that the business is now worth up to 8.5 billion rupees (nearly $200 million)

For audience expecting a circus, ‘Rain’ leaves something to be desiredIf hair-raising acrobatics, lions jumping through hoops on fire and ultra-flexible girls folding themselves like paperclips is your idea of a good show, “Rain” is not what you are looking for. Canadian troupe Cirque Eloize’s “Rain” is such a new type of show that calling it a circus would be to ignore most of its essence. Though

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― The red and black leather jacket worn by Michael Jackson in his “Thriller” video went under the hammer for $1.8 million on Sunday, a day after the second anniversary of the pop icon’s death.The jacket, which fetched several times its estimate of between $200,000 and $400,000, has “Love Michael Jackson” written on the sleeve, and a dedication in the lining to his long-time costu

Lee Man-soo, a former triple crown-winning catcher, topped the vote for South Korea’s all-time baseball greats, the nation’s top baseball league announced Monday.In a vote among baseball officials, fans and media, Lee earned 74.05 points of a possible 100, the Korea Baseball Organization said. The league is celebrating its 30th season and naming 10 all-time all-stars as part of the season-long com