The Korea Herald

Telecom firms begin taking pre-orders for Galaxy S3

Jun 12, 2012

Telecom giants have begun accepting reservation purchases for Samsung Electronics’ much-awaited flagship smartphone Galaxy S3.SK Telecom, Korea’s largest mobile carrier, said that it started promoting Samsung’s 3G and long-term evolution mobile handsets, taking pre-orders from 5,000 customers on a first-come, first-served basis on Tuesday morning.After about two and a half hours, the telecom company said that pre-orders for all of the 5,000 3G phones had ended, while Samsung’s LTE phone continue
KaKao's phone service hurts Korean telecom giants: Moody's

Jun 12, 2012

The launch of a free phone-call service by KakaoTalk is credit negative for South Korean telecommunication giants SKT and KT, Moody's Investors Service said Monday.KaKaoTalk is a popular multi-platform texting application based in South Korea. It claims more than 50 million subscribers around the world.The operator began the free phone service, VoiceTalk, on a trial basis last week.Moody's said th
MS launches cloud platform in Korea

Jun 11, 2012

Global software giant takes on Amazon, Google in emerging technologyMicrosoft has launched its all-new hybrid cloud computing platform, Windows Azure, in Korea after holding off on the service for two years.Despite the delay in the release here, officials said MS is still ahead of its competitors such as Amazon and Google in Korea’s cloud computing arena.Amazon has not yet made a significant inroad into the Korean market, although the online book retailer has established its cloud computing serv
Shrimp's weapon could inspire better armor

Jun 10, 2012

Mantis ShrimpThe unique structure of a club-like arm of a crustacean could inspire changes in military body armor and vehicle and aircraft frames, U.S. scientists say.The bright orange fist-like club of the mantis shrimp, a 4-inch-long crustacean found in tropical waters, accelerates underwater faster than a .22-caliber bullet and can smash through mollusk shells and crab exoskeletons, researchers
Nexon buys $685 million stake in NCSoft, becomes biggest holder

Jun 9, 2012

Nexon Co., a Tokyo-based maker of online games, bought a 804.5 billion won ($685 million) stake in NCSoft Corp. to become the South Korean company's biggest shareholder.Nexon purchased 3.2 million NCSoft shares, a 14.7 percent stake, from NCSoft Chairman Kim Taek-Jin for 250,000 won apiece, it said in a statement today. That's 6.7 percent less than today's closing price in Seoul for NCSoft, which
Cyber experts warn of 'intelligent weapons'

Jun 8, 2012

Quick advances in cyber war technologies could soon lead to a new generation of so-called "intelligent cyber weapons" which top global IT defence experts warn could be virtually unstoppable."Rapid developments in cyber (technology) might lead to intelligent cyber weapons that are hard to control and it's practically impossible to use formal methods of verifying the safety of intelligent cyber weap
Telecoms’ backlash against Kakao Voice Talk rolls on

Jun 7, 2012

SKT, KT opposed, LG Uplus open to free mobile callsKakao’s controversial free mobile call application is facing growing opposition from Korea’s two telecom giants, SK Telecom and KT, as the venture firm’s new service is expected to hit their bottom lines.Kakao, which is widely known for its Kakao Talk free mobile messenger app, is gearing up to officially launch the next in its line of free mobile services, Voice Talk. Following this announcement three days ago, SK Telecom and KT remain adamant
SKT, KT set milestone record in LTE users

Jun 7, 2012

SK Telecom said on Thursday that the number of its long term evolution network subscribers has exceeded 3 million as of early this month since launching the 4G telecommunication service in July last year.Within 11 months, Korea’s biggest mobile carrier has surpassed Japan’s NTT DoCoMo to become the world’s second leading LTE provider after U.S.-based Verizon, it said based on data by Wireless Intelligence.There were 72 companies that provided LTE services in 37 countries as of May, the company n
Korea’s IT exports shrink 3% in May

Jun 7, 2012

South Korea’s exports of information technology products contracted 3 percent on-year in May due to sluggish global economic growth and fewer products shipped to the United States and Japan, the government said Thursday.The country shipped $12.94 billion worth of IT products last month, compared with $13.35 billion a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy. However, the country posted a trade surplus of $6.57 billion as imports also fell 8.4 percent to $6.37 billion. May’s o
Korea computer game giant takes on U.S. mobile market

Jun 7, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ―South Korea-based WeMade Entertainment went shoulder-to-shoulder Wednesday with titans at the E3 videogame extravaganza in Los Angeles with games designed to bring computer-quality play to smartphones or tablets.The 12-year-old company behind massively-multiplayer-online-role-player-game “Legend of Mir” planned to ride into the US market on the back of the mobile gadget lifestyle.The game has been a hit in Asia, particularly in China, and boasts more than 100 million players.“
Apple seeks to block sales of Samsung's new Galaxy phone

Jun 7, 2012

Apple Inc. asked a federal judge in San Jose, California, to include Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy S III smartphone in its request to block sales of Samsung products in the U.S.Samsung released the Galaxy S III in the U.K. on May 29 and U.S. carriers have announced they will start selling the smartphone in the U.S. on June 21, Apple said in a court filing.Apple has obtained the Galaxy S III in
Facebook photo ends up on porn, dating sites

Jun 7, 2012

(This photo is not directly related to the article)Housewife Jules Rahim was shocked when a friend tipped her off that her photo was featured on a pornographic website.That was not the only unauthorized use of the picture of her in a bikini, which she had posted on her Facebook account three years ago.Another friend told her that the photo had also popped up on a dating site called sgGirls.com.
Apple asks German court to ban Galaxy Tab

Jun 6, 2012

Apple Inc. asked a Dusseldorf appeals court to ban sales of Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy 10.1N tablet computer, a modified version of the device introduced after the original tablet was blocked in Germany.Samsung did not sufficiently change the device and is still trying to exploit the iPad’s reputation, said Matthias Koch, an Apple lawyer, at a hearing today on Apple’s bid to overturn a lower court decision in February denying the request.“Samsung added some loudspeakers and made the sides
Galaxy S3 to hit Chinese tech stores

Jun 6, 2012

Samsung also plans to release the latest smartphone in Korea, U.S. this monthChinese consumers will be able to get hold of Samsung Electronics’ new flagship smartphone “Galaxy S3” this weekend as Korea’s biggest tech firm secured mobile carrier deals with China’s three telecom giants.Samsung Electronics will offer TD-SCDMA 3G smartphones with China Mobile, CDMA phones with China Telecom and WCDMA with China Unicom, it said in a press release.“We have been closely collaborating with China’s mobil
iPad rules the tablets, Samsung tops Amazon, others: survey

Jun 6, 2012

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― The Apple iPad extended its lead in the global market for tablet computers at the start of 2012 while Amazon’s Kindle Fire flamed out after a sizzling introduction, a survey showed Monday.The ABI Research survey showed overall global sales of media tablets amounted to 18.2 million in the first three months of the year, up 185 percent from a year earlier, but down 33 percent from the fourth quarter gift-giving season.Apple held 65 percent of the market with 11.8 million iPad sh