Samsung Electronics Co. warned of rising competition across businesses from smartphones to memory chips, again sounding a dour note for the global technology industry in 2016.The world’s largest smartphone vendor faces another difficult year after a 2015 plagued by economic turbulence and volatile exchange rates, Chief Executive Officer Kwon Oh-Hyun said in a letter to shareholders ahead of their annual meeting on Friday.Investors across a raft of Samsung Group companies will vote Friday on prop

CHAIRMAN TRIES OUT LG G5 -- LG Group chairman Koo Bon-moo (right) tries out LG Electronics’ latest flagship smartphone G5 at an award ceremony for the group’s top researchers Thursday in Seoul. The industry’s first modular phone, whose launch date has yet been fixed, has a removable accessory slot at the bottom, which allows users to swap in different modules for enhanced camera and sound functions. (LG Electronics)

Samsung Electronics’ mobile chief on Thursday showed confidence in sales of the company’s latest flagship smartphone Galaxy S7 and its Edge variant, saying the phones will exceed their predecessors. After a week-long preorder period, the latest Galaxy phones will go on sale globally from Friday. Samsung’s mobile chief Koh Dong-jin poses with the Galaxy S7 and its Edge variant phones at a press conference in Seoul on Thursday. (Samsung Electronics)“There are positive reviews about the new phones

Mobile network operator SK Telecom said Thursday that it had joined a Google-led global initiative, dubbed OpenConfig, to improve network infrastructure around the world.SKT’s chief technology officer Choi Jin-sung delivers a presentation at the annual Open Compute Summit event Wednesday in San Jose, California. (SKT)OpenConfig, an informal working group of network operators, was founded in October 2014 with the aim of developing network systems and enhancing the efficiency of network infrastruc

Samsung Electronics Co. showcased its latest flagship smartphones in South Korea on Thursday, with price tags hovering below their predecessors in an apparent bid to better compete with rivals and improve its ailing smartphone business.The world's top smartphone maker said the local price of the 32 gigabyte (GB) Galaxy S7 will be 836,000 won ($690), compared with the initial price of 858,000 won for the 32GB Galaxy S6.That of the 32GB Galaxy S7 Edge stands at 924,000 won, also down 5.6 percent f

Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it has started production of a 1.2 megapixel image sensor for smartphones that applies its own dual pixel technology. The company’s latest smartphone Galaxy S7 and its Edge variant that boast advanced camera functions are the first to adopt the sensor.  Dual pixel technology means each of the 12 million pixels have two photodiodes that collect light. The pixels work better like human eyes, improving autofocus speed and allowing clear photos even in low light co

Google’s artificial intelligence program AlphaGo defeated Korean Go champion Lee Se-dol in their historic first showdown Wednesday.In a landmark match held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, the Google AI beat Lee by resignation in 186 moves after a fierce tug of war for more than 3 1/2 hours. “I was really surprised. I didn’t think I could lose,” Lee said at a press conference after the match. “I didn’t think AlphaGo would play in such a perfect manner. I like to express my respect to the Goog

With all attention on the ongoing five-day match between Lee Se-dol and Google’s artificial intelligence AlphaGo, sales of Go boards and stones are soaring here especially among young people in their 20s. According to the nation’s largest online shopping mall Auction on Wednesday, sales of Go products increased 42 percent over the past month compared to the same period last year.  A foldable magnetic Go boardEspecially spending by 20-something consumers surged 81 percent. Until recently, the key

LG SIGNATURE DEBUTS IN CHINA -- LG Electronics unveiled its new luxury brand LG Signature at the Appliance and Electronics World Expo in Shanghai on Wednesday. The Korean tech giant has set up a 768 square-meter exhibition booth to showcase its premium appliances ranging from its latest organic light emitting diode TV and other appliances to its latest flagship smartphone G5. (LG Electronics)

Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it has started production of a 1.2 megapixel image sensor for smartphones that applies its own dual pixel technology. The company’s latest smartphone Galaxy S7 and its Edge variant that boast advanced camera functions are the first to adopt the sensor.  Samsung’s dual pixel image sensorDual pixel technology means each of the 12 million pixels have two photodiodes that collect light. The pixels work better like human eyes, improving autofocus speed and allowing

SoftBank Ventures Korea, the local venture capital arm of Japan’s SoftBank Group, on Wednesday announced that the company has decided to invest 3 billion won ($2.5 million) in Global Networks, an online business-to-business meat dealer. “Meat Box, Global Networks’ e-commerce platform, has abundant experience in livestock product distribution, on top of state-of-the-art information technology. It has secured a great deal of data and know-how already,” Edward Chung, a senior associate at the compa

Ahead of a historic showdown between Go grandmaster Lee Se-dol and Google’s artificial intelligence program AlphaGo, tension filled the air of the venue, the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, on Wednesday. Mirroring the worldwide attention, some 300 journalists from around the world gathered at the battleground to witness what would become a new chapter in history of both Go and AI regardless of the outcome.  Lee chose black stones to start the game first. It was an unexpected choice considering that

LG Group chairman Koo Bon-moo stressed “insight and action” for the group’s next big leap at an executive meeting in Seoul on Tuesday. “At a time of technological convergence and fierce competition across industries, we are experiencing destructive changes,” he said. “We should focus on our strengths to further elevate our competitiveness.” Koo Bon-moo. (Illustration By Park Gee-young)LG, the nation’s fourth-largest conglomerate, has continued business restructuring centered on its next growth e

LG TO RELEASE STYLUS 2 SMARTPHONE-- LG Electronics said Tuesday that it will release the 5.7-inch (14.5 cms) Stylus 2, a budget smartphone featuring a stylus pen, via mobile carriers SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus in Korea this week. (LGE)