South Korean firm Kono, known for a commemorative watch used by the Blue House, said Friday it will be launching a smart LED stick that utilizes internet of things technology. Kono, originally a maker of watches and jewelry, is now expanding into IoT-based products, and the new LED stick is designed to reflect a user’s lifestyle, responding to sound sources at concert venues or hiking conditions to prevent accidents. The product, which will be released under the brand Mangosteen Swing, requires

After announcing a 133 trillion won ($114 billion) investment in research and development of non-memory semiconductors last week, Samsung Electronics said Thursday its artificial intelligence research institute in Montreal, Canada, has been expanded to support the company’s drive for system chips.The company said the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology’s AI Lab in Montreal has been incorporated into the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms by recently moving into Mila's building. Foun

Silicon Valley-based startup accelerator Plug and Play Tech Center plans to launch operations in South Korea by the first half of 2020, according to company officals.Despite the rapid growth in Korea’s startup ecosystem, Plug and Play, which is widening its presence in Asia -- with offices in China’s eight cities including Beijing and Shanghai, as well as Tokyo, Jakarta and Singapore -- has not yet started an office here.“(Plug and Play Tech Center) is preparing to launch in Korea between the fo

Although addiction to gaming should be categorized as a mental health issue according to the new guidelines of the World Health Organization, debate has persisted on how to draw the line on addiction, and whether existing regulations to mitigate such risks are appropriate.Researchers gathered at the Game Science Forum in Seoul on Monday to explore the implications of gaming disorder being highlighted in the context of public health at a forum on gaming and science, where participants cautioned a

Free Wi-Fi services will be available on 4,200 public city buses nationwide, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced Wednesday.In an effort to improve information accessibility and reduce telecommunication costs, the ministry will provide 100 gigabytes of data per bus every month for public use. Buses with Wi-Fi services will have a ministry-issued sticker attached for easy recognition. Ministry-issued sticker (MSIP)Public Wi-Fi services are available at some 13,000 designated areas across the

LG Electronics said Tuesday its first-quarter net profit dropped 20.8 percent from a year earlier as its money-losing smartphone business clouded robust revenue from its home appliance division. The South Korean electronics maker said it posted 578 billion won (US$495 million) in net profit in the January-March period, compared with 730 billion won a year earlier.Timothy Alessi (left), a US product marketing team leader, and David Vanderwaal, a US marketing division leader, present LG Electronic

Samsung Electronics on Tuesday cautiously expected an uptick in chip demand for high-value products and mobile devices in the second half of the year, after delivering a 60 percent drop in its first-quarter earnings on weak memory chip prices.The South Korean tech giant posted a net profit of 5.04 trillion won (US$4.3 billion) in the January-March period, the lowest since the third quarter of 2016, its regulatory filing showed. Its operating profit dropped 60.1 percent on-year to 6.2 trillion wo

Vice chairman of semiconductor association praises latest non-memory chip measures as best ever by aiming a tie-up of different segments of system chip industry

To meet the needs of millennials who are more familiar with smartphones than the traditional television screens, Samsung Electronics on Monday showcased its first vertical TV model as part of its lifestyle lineup. Dubbed “The Sero,” meaning vertical in Korean, the TV features a 43-inch quantum-dot light-emitting diode screen that can also be turned around for a normal horizontal screen. While the vertical form is more suitable for consuming mobile contents by mirroring a user’s smartphone for mo

US investment bank JP Morgan has estimated that the price of chips for 5G-powered smartphones would be twice as much as those for 4G-based handsets, a Seoul-based research institute said Monday. According to the Institute for Information and Communication Technology Promotion, JP Morgan said in its 2018 report that the average price of various chips powering 5G handsets would be about 1.85 higher than for smartphones using the 4G Long-Term Evolution network.Titled “5g Smartphone: The Next Big Th

SK Broadband, the No. 1 internet protocol TV service provider, is diversifying its content platform by offering dynamic interactive academic programs for toddlers as well as older children.Aiming to become a lifestyle service provider, the home broadband network company has enhanced its lineup of kids’ content with a TV-based home schooling program titled Play Songs Home.In partnership with music therapists and with local kindergarten operator Play Songs, SK Broadband developed the musical progr

Samsung SDI, one of the nation’s largest battery maker, sought to learn from a local fish-cake maker based in Busan, in an effort to innovate its operation and business strategies.Executives and employees of the battery firm looked at the example of family-run fish-cake maker Samjin Eomuk, which has survived financial difficulties and achieved market success by changing its strategy from business-to-business to business-to-customer.Samjin Eomuk was a small supplier of filleted fish on the brink

　Samsung’s first 5G-powered smartphone is expected to carry a higher price tag in the United States than in South Korea. 　US mobile carrier Verizon said Thursday that it had begun preorders for the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, which will hit Verizon stores May 16. The 256 GB option costs $1,300 and the 512 GB option is $1,400. 　But in Korea, where the model became available April 5 after the rollout of 5G commercial services here, the 256 GB model costs about 1.39 million won ($1,205), with the 512 GB

SK hynix reports 69% plunge in Q1 operating profit; combined figure for two major chipmakers dwindles to one-third of last year

Revenue increases 13 percent from year earlier