The Korea Herald

iPhone 5 carries Korean components

LG Display to see most benefit as iPhone parts supplier, analysts sayApple’s iPhone 5 may have failed to meet high expectations worldwide as it failed to boast any particularly surprising innovative features.Analysts are nonetheless coming out with rosy sales forecasts for Apple as the U.S. tech giant still has strongly loyal fans. Based on this, Korean components makers, especially LG Display, are also being highlighted as those that will benefit from supplying their parts for the smartphone.LG

TechnologySept. 14, 2012

Gaming not just for kids

Adults make up large number of online multiplayer gamersComputer games were often considered strictly for kids. An adult staring mindlessly at a PC screen, slashing monsters and upgrading character levels would be looked down upon, if not ridiculed as a man-child. But as game-loving children turn into adolescents and then adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s, gaming transforms into a mainstream pastime, especially in South Korea where high-speed Internet connections are plentiful and a slew of cash-

TechnologySept. 14, 2012

Gaming no longer child’s play

Computer games were often considered strictly for kids. An adult staring mindlessly at a PC screen, slashing monsters and upgrading character levels would be looked down upon, if not ridiculed as a man-child. But as game-loving children turn into adolescents and then adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s, gaming transforms into a mainstream pastime, especially in South Korea where high-speed Internet connections are plentiful and a slew of cash-rich game developers continue to produce one hit title a

TechnologySept. 14, 2012

Guatemala volcano erupts outside tourist center

A long-simmering volcano exploded with a series of powerful eruptions outside one of Guatemala's most famous tourist attractions on Thursday, hurling thick clouds of ash nearly two miles (three kilometers) high, spewing rivers of lava down its flanks and prompting evacuation orders for more than 33,000 people from surrounding communities.Guatemala's head of emergency evacuations, Sergio Cabanas, s

TechnologySept. 14, 2012

Poor spend bigger percentage on smoking

High cigarette taxes are effective at reducing cigarette smoking, but U.S. researchers say they disproportionally burden low-income smokers.Chief scientist Matthew Farrelly, senior director of RTI International‘s Public Health Policy Research Program, said the study showed low-income smokers in New York, which has the nation’s highest state cigarette tax at $4.35 per pack, spent nearly a quarter of their household income on cigarettes. Nationally, those with the lowest incomes spend about 14 per

Sept. 14, 2012

CDC: 35.7 percent in U.S. obese

Thirty-three percent of U.S. adults age 20 and older are overweight, 35.7 percent are obese and 6.3 percent are extremely obese, researchers say.Cheryl D. Fryar, Margaret D. Carroll and Cynthia L. Ogden of the Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys at the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, used data from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.The data showed for adults age 20 and older an increase i

TechnologySept. 14, 2012

S&P upgrades S. Korea's credit rating to 'A plus'

Global credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's said Friday that it has upgraded its sovereign credit rating for South Korea by one notch, citing reduced geopolitical risks stemming from North Korea. According to an e-mailed statement, S&P raised Korea's credit rating from "A" to "A plus," the fifth-highest level on its rating grade, and maintained its rating outlook for Asia's fourth-largest e

Sept. 14, 2012

Planets not like Earth could harbor life

(123rf)Extreme forms of life could exist on eccentric planets outside the solar system with conditions unlike those on Earth, U.S. scientists say.Extreme exoplanets, from scorching hot worlds with molten surfaces to frigid ice balls, could maintain some form of life even though they don't inhabit a star's so-called habitable or "Goldilocks" zone, they said."When we're talking about a habitable pla

TechnologySept. 14, 2012

Planets not like Earth could harbor life

Study: PCs being infected at the factory

Cybercriminals have gone further than ever -- even to the factory floor of PC makers -- to infect computers with malware, a U.S. study by Microsoft says.The study identified several computers carrying malware installed in the factory, including a virus dubbed Nitol that steals personal details to help criminals steal money from online bank accounts, the BBC reported Thursday.In a report describing its effort to disrupt a botnet of Nitol-infected computers, Microsoft said cybercriminals had taken

TechnologySept. 14, 2012

Imported cosmetics prices highest in Korea: report

Imported cosmetics brands are selling their products at higher prices in Korea than in major overseas markets, with lipsticks showing an up to eight-fold difference in prices, a consumer advocacy group said Thursday. According to a recent survey by the Seoul YWCA, the cosmetics prices at Korean department stores were the highest among eight countries, including Japan, Australia, Italy, Germany, the U.S., the U.K. and France. Based on purchasing power parity among countries, Korea was selling cos

IndustrySept. 13, 2012

Despite higher spec, iPhone 5 lacks innovation

Apple’s latest device would not be able to overtake Samsung phones, analysts say Apple’s long-awaited iPhone 5 has been unveiled to the world with mixed reviews.Some say the new smartphone does not offer any innovative features other than being thinner with a larger display than its previous model.Others highlight the iPhone 5’s faster Long Term Evolution wireless connectivity with an upgraded microprocessor and central processing unit.Weighing only 112 grams with a 4-inch touch screen, compared

TechnologySept. 13, 2012

Despite higher spec, iPhone 5 lacks innovation

Cancer biggest cause of death in Korea

Cancer, cerebrovascular disease and heart problems claimed nearly half of all deaths in Korea last year, data showed on Thursday.According to figures released by Statistics Korea, a total of 257,396 people died last year, up 0.8 percent from the previous year.Cancer topped the list of the causes for death in 2011. The number of those who died of cancer was 142.8 per every 100,000 people. It was followed by celebrovascular disease (50.7 people) and heart problems (49.8 people). Suicides came in f

Sept. 13, 2012

Average corporate board member pockets W850m; employee earns W57m

The average annual salary of registered board members at the nation’s top 100 companies amounted to 850 million won ($753,000) last year, data showed on Thursday.Employees at those companies received an average annual wage of 57 million won, the Financial Supervisory Service said in its report.The wage disparity was the highest in tech giant Samsung Electronics Co., where general employees received 78 million won on average last year, while board members each raked in 10.9 billion won, according

Sept. 13, 2012

J-E Tech leads industry’s fight against dust

Technological prowess puts small Korean firm on global industry mapThe Korea Herald, in collaboration with the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, is presenting a series of articles introducing small but promising environmental tech firms. The following is the third installment. ― Ed. On the industrial battlefield, tiny dust particles can make a huge difference. They can chip away at employee productivity, optimal machine performance and even cause serious industrial accidents,

IndustrySept. 13, 2012

J-E Tech leads industry’s fight against dust

Is hypotension a disease?

Is hypotension dangerous? There are several things about hypotension that many people believe to be true, but are actually urban myths. This is an example. It is possible that the medical state of “shock,” in other words, a rapid decline in the blood pressure with decreased function of the body organs ― which can be fatal ― has led to the mistaken belief that low blood pressure (hypotension) is dangerous. In cases of severe blood loss or cardiovascular malfunctions, the blood pressure decreases

TechnologySept. 13, 2012

Review of studies casts doubt on benefits of omega-3 supplements

LOS ANGELES ― Is there something fishy going on with omega-3 fatty acids?For years, major health and medical organizations have recommended fish oil supplements rich in omega-3s to reduce the threat of heart disease. In Europe, where support is particularly enthusiastic, a doctor’s failure to recommend the supplements is viewed by some as bordering on malpractice.But several recent studies have raised questions about the benefits of fish oil, sparking no small amount of confusion. A report being

TechnologySept. 13, 2012

Reaching for a box of tissues? Tips for runny noses in autumn

For people with allergic problems, the arrival of cool, breezy autumn days is not so pleasant. Temperature fluctuations and low humidity during fall months often cause sneezing, itchy and runny nose, and lots of discomfort, just like in springtime. Pollen from trees, grass and weeds that floats around in the air trigger allergic reactions, along with mold and dust mites. “Allergic rhinitis, often mistaken for a cold, goes untreated for a long time,” said Choi Seung-yong, a doctor at Hamsoa Child

TechnologySept. 13, 2012

Reaching for a box of tissues? Tips for runny noses in autumn

Hyundai Heavy wins $620m drill ship order

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., South Korea’s leading shipbuilder, said Thursday that it has clinched a $620 million order to build a drill ship.Under the deal with the U.S.-based Rowan, Hyundai Heavy will deliver the vessel by the end of the first quarter of 2015, the company said. The contract includes an option to build an additional drill ship.In June last year, Hyundai Heavy won a $1.12 billion deal from Rowan to build two drill ships.A drill ship is a maritime vessel with drilling apparatus

Sept. 13, 2012

Biz lobby opposes toughening rules on chaebol

A lobby group of Korea’s large businesses on Thursday expressed its objection to a proposed bill on strengthening rules to ensure manufacturing and financial companies will not exert too much control over each other.The opposition came hours after a group of ruling Saenuri Party lawmakers committed to so-called “economic democratization” announced a plan to submit the bill to the National Assembly next week at the latest.The bill, among other things, is meant to limit voting rights of financial

Sept. 13, 2012

NPS invests $640m in troubled eurozone nations

South Korea’s state-run pension fund has invested some $640 million in debt-stricken European countries, a report showed Thursday, sparking concern over losses due to the persistent eurozone sovereign crisis.The National Pension Service had $639.8 million of exposure to Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Portugal as of June, according to the NPS report. Equity investment reached $339.8 million, with bond holdings making up the remainder.By country, investment in Italy was the largest at $310 mill

Sept. 13, 2012