The Korea Herald

ITU to combat digital divide

Oct 19, 2014

BUSAN ― Ministerial level officials from some 50 member states of the International Telecommunications Union adopted a declaration on Sunday aimed at overcoming global inequality through the development of information and communication technology.The ITU Secretariat said that under the theme of “The Future Role of ICT ― Sustainable Development with Inclusive ICTs,” officials held a meeting in the city to outline global agenda and criteria for the 19th ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, which will k
Korean phone-maker Pantech files bankruptcy in U.S.

Oct 19, 2014

Pantech, the Korean maker of mobile devices that is facing fierce competition from Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics Inc. and Apple Inc., sought bankruptcy protection in the U.S. as it seeks to reorganize at home.The company, incorporated in Seoul, listed debt of as much as $1 billion and assets of as much as $500 million in a filing yesterday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Atlanta. Chapter 15 protects foreign companies from U.S. lawsuits and creditor claims while they reorganize abroad. Pant
Samsung, LG to release midrange handsets

Oct 19, 2014

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are getting ready to release new midrange handsets in the domestic market to cope with a recent drop in sales, industry sources said Sunday.The move comes after the government banned certain discounts with the enactment of the Terminal Distribution Structure Improvement Act in September. The law aims to correct perceived distortions in the market caused by carriers that only offer discounts on flagship devices at the expense of lower-end phones.The law, how
ITU ready to kick off 3-week journey in Busan

Oct 19, 2014

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) will kick off its quadrennial plenipotentiary conference in South Korea's southern port city of Busan on Monday, attended by some 3,500 delegates from around the world with plans to set new ICT-related policies for the world in the coming years.The ITU is an information and communications arm of the United Nations with a membership of 193 countries that has the power to set new technological standards and guidelines for the world ICT industry. All
Samsung must change: Chambers

Oct 17, 2014

Cisco to maintain ‘solid business ties’ with Korean firms
Korea to showcase devices for handicapped at ITU meeting

Oct 17, 2014

South Korea’s ICT ministry said Friday it will display the latest assistive devices for the handicapped on the sidelines of the International Telecommunications Union gathering opening next week.The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, and the National Information Society Agency said they will introduce 25 devices from 15 local companies that help the handicapped access computers and smart devices. Products include Braille displayers, reading magnifiers, video phones and touch monitors,
ICT minister presses mobile carriers, manufacturers on price

Oct 17, 2014

South Korea’s ICT minister on Friday pressed local handset manufacturers and mobile carriers to lower the prices of devices and subscriptions after a new law enacted to lower costs for consumers backfired.In a hastily called early morning meeting, Choi Yang-hee, minister of science, ICT and future planning, said the point of the new law is to induce market players to compete in lowering the costs of communications and handset factory prices, while improving service quality.“If the law is used on
Busan to build second Centum City

Oct 16, 2014

Industrial district will embrace Internet of Things
Sony ups ante in action camera market

Oct 16, 2014

Sony, one of the world’s leading camera-makers, is expected to grab a huge chunk of the local action camera market as more people are seeking cameras that can adapt to their changing lifestyles, which involve more outdoor activities. Research firms are forecasting sales of up to 32,000 action cameras this year, more than double the annual average of 15,000 so far. To ride the momentum, the Japanese camera-maker released a new compact model called the Action Cam Mini, or the HDR-AZ1, earlier this
[Herald Interview] TriBeluga to support Korean tech start-ups

Oct 16, 2014

TriBeluga, a Chinese start-up incubation center, said it will “spare no effort” in supporting South Korean tech start-ups seeking to make inroads into China’s environment, health care and education sectors. Lili Luo, president and founder of TriBeluga, said the incubator will not only provide seed money to early-stage innovative start-ups, but also help them grow via initial public offerings or mergers and acquisitions, two key factors that determine the success and sustainability of start-ups.“
Daum Kakao head vows not to honor warrants for private messages

Oct 16, 2014

The co-CEO of Daum Kakao, the operator of South Korea's top smartphone messenger Kakao Talk, reaffirmed his position Thursday that the company will not respond to warrants from prosecutors seeking to access private messages exchanged on its flagship service.Last month, President Park Geun-hye ordered prosecutors to look into the spread of malicious rumors about individuals on social media services, prompting concerns that investigators may search through private chat histories to sift out commen
SME innovation to help cut home energy use

Oct 15, 2014

The following is the fourth in a series of articles on the creative green economy, which focuses on generating new growth engines and was initiated by the Park Geun-hye administration and the Ministry of Environment. ― Ed.Saving energy to sustain the environment is not an easy task.People will have to break old habits or thinking, and adapt to a new lifestyle as a start.But with the right tools and appliances, they can learn to efficiently manage energy at home or office, which would start a pos
Rifkin urges Korea’s shift to renewable energy

Oct 15, 2014

Jeremy Rifkin, an internationally renowned economist and author, advised Korea to shift its gears to embrace renewable energy sources to better prepare for the era of the so-called “sharing economy.”The sharing economy indicates a new paradigm under which people share a number of goods and services, including cars, homes and clothes, with one another via such new channels as social media sites, at low cost or even free of charge. “Nuclear power (generation) is a mistaken business because of its
Cisco aims to create IoT ecosystem

Oct 15, 2014

U.S. firm to run program for nurturing new talent
Chicago aims for ‘smartest city’ title

Oct 15, 2014

CHICAGO ― Steve Koch, the deputy mayor of Chicago, said the city would make all-out efforts to transform itself into the smartest city in the U.S. and even in the world by embracing cutting-edge Internet of Things technology. “We (Chicago) want to be the center of the industry, where people start companies, where people create jobs and where people create value,” said the deputy mayor in a keynote speech at the Internet of Things World Forum Tuesday.“We want to be the test bed of new technology.