The Korea Herald

Samsung targets 55 million in TV sales this year

Jan 10, 2013

Electronics business chief expects fierce global competition in mobile industry
Father hires virtual hitman to ‘kill’ son’s online avatar

Jan 10, 2013

A Chinese father hired professional gamers to kill his son’s online avatar, according to Chinese newspaper the Sanqing Daily. The father, surnamed Feng, believed that if his 23-year-old son was killed every time he played, he would get bored of playing and start putting more effort into getting a job. But his plan failed as son Xiao Feng asked the attackers why they were out to get him, only to hear that his father had hired them to do so. “I can play or I can not play, it doesn’t bother me. I’m
Apple said to develop cheaper iPhone for late 2013 debut

Jan 9, 2013

Apple Inc. plans to sell a smaller, cheaper version of the iPhone as soon as this year, said a person familiar with the plans, part of a push to gain customers in developing nations.Apple, which had been working on a more affordable smartphone since at least February 2011, is weighing retail prices of $99 to $149 for a device that would debut in late 2013, at the earliest, according to the person, who asked not to be named because the negotiations are private. Apple has spoken to at least one of
Innovative tech augments autos

Jan 9, 2013

LAS VEGAS ― Carmakers are expressing their big appetites for in-vehicle technology integration at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, led by Audi and Lexus’ unveiling of skills for driverless driving.“Whenever I don’t want to drive, I can allow myself to be driven. Ultimate responsibility rests with the pilot,” said Ricky Hudi, head of development in electrics and electronics at Audi. Boasting that Audi is the world’s first car manufacturer that has a license to test automated driving in Neva
OLED TV market to grow to 1m units in 2014: LG

Jan 9, 2013

LAS VEGAS ― LG Electronics’ home entertainment chief Kwon Hee-won said Wednesday that the firm expects that about 1 million units of OLED TVs will be shipped globally next year thanks to the increase of competitors.With the rise of Japanese firms in the OLED TV market, LG is getting ready to mass produce the 55-inch OLED TV which it claims to have superior brightness, clear picture quality and good contrast ratio. Using W-RGB display technology, the company also showcased the world’s first 55-in
Samsung, LG unveil world’s first ‘curved’ OLED TVs

Jan 9, 2013

LAS VEGAS ― Samsung and LG Electronics, the world’s top two TV makers, once again boasted tech prowess in the TV industry by revealing the world’s first curved OLED TV at the Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday.Creating a panorama effect, the 55-inch curved OLED TV is intended to offer a more immersive viewing experience for consumers, according to Samsung officials.They also said that the curved display offers consistent picture quality from any angle and that consumers are deemed to be more
Online game 'ArcheAge' captivates with unique economic system

Jan 9, 2013

"ArcheAge," a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, is said to provide gamers with a new experience of farming and trade.Korean game developer XLGAMES’ new title "ArcheAge" offers a complex economic system, including farming, lumbering, mining, manufacturing and trading, with which gamers can not only earn in-game money but also raise their character’s level without engaging in combat or completing quests.The system allows players to produce crops, livestock, lumber and minerals to pro
Smart TVs get smarter, by just a little bit

Jan 9, 2013

In the not-so-distant future, couch potatoes will be waving, pointing, swiping and tapping to make their TVs react, kind of like what Tom Cruise did in the 2002 movie ``Minority Report.'' That's the vision of TV manufacturers as they show off ``smart TVs.''The sets will recognize who's watching and will try to guess what viewers want to see. They'll respond to more natural speech and will connect with your smartphone in a single touch.The idea is to make TV watching easier and more pleasant as v
Samsung Electronics takes up 20% of stock market cap: data

Jan 8, 2013

South Korea’s tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. has increased its presence in the local stock market with its value reaching nearly 20 percent of the total market capitalization, data showed Tuesday.The market cap of Samsung Electronics reached 223.8 trillion won ($210.5 billion) as of Monday, or 19.26 percent of the market total and up 4.3 percentage points from end-2011, according to data compiled by the bourse operator Korea Exchange.Samsung’s market cap had stayed below 20 percent after rea
Samsung, LG fined for LCD price-fixing in China

Jan 4, 2013

LG Display agreed to pay damages ordered by the Chinese government for fixing the price of its panels, while Samsung Display said it would need more time to look into the issue.On Friday, the world’s two top makers of liquid-crystal display panels ― Samsung and LG Display ― were ordered to pay $35 million in damages by China’s National Development and Reform Commission for price-rigging its panels.The commission said it fined Samsung 101 million yuan ($16.2 million) and LG 118 million yuan, for
LTE subscribers grow 13-fold in 2012

Jan 3, 2013

The number of South Koreans who subscribed to the long-term evolution network increased more than 13 times last year as a growing number of people opted to connect their smartphones to the faster mobile network, data showed Thursday.The country’s LTE subscriber base reached 15.9 million as of the end of 2012, expanding 13.4-fold from a year earlier, according to industry data. The figure translates to 40,000 new LTE subscriptions a day.The number of Korean LTE subscribers is estimated to account
InterDigital files complaints on Samsung, two others

Jan 3, 2013

Huawei Technologies Co., ZTE Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. were named in a new patent- infringement complaint filed by InterDigital Inc. over technology related to the latest mobile-phone standards.The complaint, filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, builds on one that InterDigital lodged against Huawei, ZTE and Nokia Oyj in 2011, which is scheduled for a hearing in February. The case includes new patent claims against Huawei, ZTE and Nokia and adds Samsung, which
Kakao Story hits 1 billion postings

Jan 3, 2013

Kakao Story, a mobile social network service in South Korea, said its number of users reached 32.5 million, with more than 1 billion postings uploaded. Kakao Story, launched in March 2012, has gathered users rapidly thanks to its affiliation with Kakao Talk, Korea’s biggest mobile messenger. Kakao Talk contains a link to Kakao Story and users can automatically send their friends a message recommending its affiliated SNS service. Kakao Story sports a friendly user interface and simplified functio
New online game ArcheAge garners mixed reviews

Jan 3, 2013

ArcheAge, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, officially launched its open beta service on Wednesday, generating mixed responses from Korean gamers.ArcheAge, produced by Korean game company XLGames, made its long-awaited debut after 6 years of development in which over 40 billion won was invested. The game is one of the most anticipated blockbuster titles in 2013, instantly drawing more than 250,000 local gamers who applied for an advance character registration service ahead of the
KT to establish self-supporting accounting system

Jan 3, 2013

KT, the country’s No. 2 mobile carrier, is undergoing changes to establish a self-supporting accounting system that will improve efficiency and enhance financial transparency of the firm.A key KT executive recently told a pool of reporters that the company was planning to run the new self-supporting accounting system for its three divisions -- Telecom & Convergence, Customer, and Global & Enterprise. The divisions currently are headed by three different chiefs -- Pyo Hyun-myung for T&C, Seo Yu-y