Apple debuts discount watch, but no new iPhones ... yet

CALIFORNIA (AP) -- Apple introduced a cheaper version of its smartwatch, its latest attempt to broaden the appeal of its trend-setting products while many consumers are forced to scrimp during the coronavirus pandemic. The scaled-down Apple Watch follows on the heels of a budget iPhone the company released five months ago as the economy cratered and unemployment rates rose above the levels reached during the Great Recession more than a decade ago. Apple also took the wraps off a new high-end

Sept. 16, 2020

Asymptomatic COVID-19: What we know so far

Understanding transmission by asymptomatic patients has been cited as a key factor in controlling the spread of COVID-19 in communities. Korean public health authorities have repeatedly warned of the potential of asymptomatic patients to be behind a “silent spread” of the disease. “Epidemiological investigations reveal approximately 40 percent of all confirmed cases so far are asymptomatic,” said Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s deputy chief

Sept. 15, 2020

Korea's exports of ICT products grow for 3rd month

South Korea‘s exports of information and communication technology products continued to increase for the third consecutive month in August, according to a government report released Tuesday. The Ministry of Science and ICT report shows the nation‘s exports of ICT products last month reaching $15.24 billion, up by 0.3 percent on-year. The upward trend has been largely contributed to robust exports of memory chips and computers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Outbound shipments of s

Sept. 15, 2020

Instagram introduces anti-bullying features

Global photo and video-sharing platform Instagram on Tuesday introduced various new safety features in its latest effort to fight online bullying and other kinds of online harassment. The new features come as the social media platform has been criticized for becoming the center of various bullying acts, especially among young adults and teens, globally. The Facebook Inc.-owned application said it is making it easier to block multiple people at once and offering tools to restrict who can tag u

Sept. 15, 2020

LG Wing brings swivel to new level

LG Electronics on Monday unveiled a whole new form factor for its LG Wing smartphone, part of the company’s first Explore project for innovative user experiences. Amid the pandemic, the South Korean tech titan held an online unpacking event for its second flagship model of 2020 through multiple social media channels to global audiences for about 30 minutes. High-profile YouTuber Unbox Therapy presented the Wing, highlighting the new form factor and different user experiences during the

Sept. 14, 2020

Samsung to step up signage biz overseas with content producer

Samsung Electronics on Monday announced its partnership with d’strict, a local content producer for digital media, to reinforce its smart signage business by providing digital content tailored to customers. The content company created massive sea waves on the 1,620 square-meter Samsung LED display on the façade of SM Town’s building in Samseong-dong in southern Seoul in May. The two firms plan to unveil their collaborations at global landmarks like Times Square in New Yo

Sept. 14, 2020

[Herald Interview] ‘Masks can become new type of wearable device’

In the future, people could be shopping for masks at electronics retailers instead of at pharmacies. Those masks would be capable of monitoring wearers’ breathing patterns, captured particles and gas, and be able to connect with other devices like smartphones. This is not just a dream for Beelee Chua, a professor at the electric engineering school of Korea University. In 2018, professor Chua’s research team, in collaboration with Ewha Womans University, developed a micro ionizer

Sept. 13, 2020

LG forms consortium studying materials using AI tech

LG Group, South Korea's fourth-largest conglomerate, said Sunday it has formed a research consortium with global partners to discover high-performance materials with artificial intelligence (AI) and robot technologies. LG Science Park, the research and development (R&D) hub of LG Group in Seoul, joined hands with French energy firm Total S.A., Canada's McMaster University and the University of Toronto, and the National Research Council of Canada to launch the Alliance for AI-Accelerated Ma

Sept. 13, 2020

Nikola to use GM-LG Chem batteries

Nikola, a startup on electric and fuel cell trucks, will adopt electric batteries co-developed by South Korea’s LG Chem and its US partner General Motors, according to industry sources on Friday. The Arizona-based motor company is expected to equip the Ultium battery made by LG Chem for the Badger electric pickup truck, slated for mass production in 2022. Expectation for the deal was high, as GM and Nikola recently announced their partnership on electric pickup trucks and fuel cell c

Sept. 11, 2020

Ministries forge team for next-gen semiconductors

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy launched a government-industry team on Thursday dedicated to developing next-generation semiconductors. The government will inject a total of 1 trillion won ($842.4 million) by 2029, starting this year. The ICT Ministry will provide 488 billion won and the Trade Industry will give 521 billion won. Those joining the state-led team this year include 103 local businesses, 32 universities and 12 research institutions.

Sept. 10, 2020

Korean tech industry braces for new US sanction on Huawei

Korean technology companies are bracing for possible sales declines in the fourth quarter, as the United States is set to cut off China’s tech giant Huawei from various chip supplies starting Tuesday. The semiconductor and display industries are on alert due to the new US sanction that directly bans supplies of memory chips, display panels for TVs and smartphones and parts related to 5G designed using US technologies to Huawei without US approval. “It is impossible to manufactur

Sept. 10, 2020

[Gadget Review] How to use $2,000 Galaxy Z Fold2 productively

As a Galaxy Z Flip user, the technological improvement of the Galaxy Z Fold2 looks to be short of jaw-dropping. But the 7.6-inch main screen, supported by the highly touted Hideaway Hinge and flexible ultrathin glass technologies, definitely felt different. When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold2 worked more like a tablet PC than a smartphone. It seemed to have come a long way since the first Galaxy Fold, since the Fold2 is almost bezel-less. With no interruption from a notch, except for a tiny

Sept. 9, 2020

Initial volume of Galaxy Z Fold2 to grow threefold

The initial volume of the Galaxy Z Fold2, the third foldable device by Samsung Electronics, is estimated to grow at least threefold from its predecessor, owing to positive market reaction, according to telecom industry sources Wednesday. Around 10,000 units of the Galaxy Z Fold2 will be allotted for the three mobile carriers in South Korea and independent stores, the sources say. Compared to the first Galaxy Fold edition, that marks three times the volume. “Samsung’s productio

Sept. 9, 2020

Korea reveals details of ‘Netflix law’

The Ministry of Science and ICT on Tuesday provided advance notice of its ordinances under the revised Telecommunications Business Act, which includes clauses that will bind foreign platform operators like Netflix and YouTube to share costs in securing stable services. The revision, dubbed the ”Netflix law,“ passed the National Assembly in May after local network operators raised complaints over foreign platform operators being exempt from costs for operating, expanding and using

Sept. 8, 2020

Kakao’s Yanadoo secures W30b won investment

Education technology firm Yanadoo announced Tuesday that the company has recently secured investments worth 30 billion won ($25.2 million). Yanadoo, which merged with Kakao Kids to become a comprehensive education platform, is currently evaluated at 300 billion won, according to the company. Yanadoo previously offered online English programs, but started to add different education programs including ones related to health care after the merger. Yanadoo‘s sales in the first half this ye

Sept. 8, 2020

LG U+ develops SIM-less tech for smart devices

LG U+ announced Tuesday that the company and its global partners had developed a new technology enabling smart devices to work without SIM cards. Joining LG U+ in the development of the universal integrated circuit card, or iUICC, were cellular chipset developer Sony Semiconductor Israel, local communication module maker NTmore and German digital security solutions provider Giesecke+Devrient. SIM cards are responsible for storing users’ personal information, which is needed to identify

Sept. 8, 2020

Korea’s social media penetration rate ranks third in world

  South Korea’s social media penetration rate has reached 87 percent, the third highest among nations around the globe, according to a local report Monday. South Korea’s social media penetration rate as of the first quarter this year was 80 percent higher than the global average of 49 percent, according to the latest report by DMC media and Digieco, an economic research institute affiliated with KT. The report, which quoted related data collected by We Are Social, added that

Sept. 7, 2020

Samsung inks W8tr 5G equipment deal with Verizon

Samsung Electronics will supply 5G network equipment for Verizon, the world’s largest mobile carrier by revenue, through a deal worth 7.9 trillion won ($6.6 billion), according to the company’s regulatory filing Monday. The deal marks the biggest network equipment export for Korea, while officially signaling that Samsung has entered the US 5G market. According to the filing, Samsung will provide an array of 5G solutions including equipment for Verizon for the next five years.

Sept. 7, 2020

LG Chem, SK Innovation spar again over battery patent suit

South Korean battery makers LG Chem and SK Innovation are sparring again over an ongoing case regarding a violation of an electric battery patent. On Sunday, the companies each released statements on the status of their EV battery patent case being investigated by the US International Trade Commission. The case was filed by SK Innovation last September, following LG Chem’s filing of a trade secret misappropriation case against the company in April 2019. It was reported that LG Chem

Sept. 6, 2020

Smartphone market set to shrink 11% amid pandemic

The global smartphone market is projected to shrink 11 percent this year compared to last year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report Sunday. Market researcher Strategy Analytics forecast in a recent report that total shipments of smartphones would be 1.26 billion units this year, reducing 11 percent from last year. The researcher, however, raised its forecast from a 15.6 percent decline that was made earlier this year, as the pandemic impact on smartphone sale

Sept. 6, 2020