Smoking cafes no longer oasis for ostracized smokers

South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Thursday that smoking will be banned at all coffee shops, including those with smoking rooms, starting in July. Health authorities plan to make the advance notice of legislation amendment to the National Health Promotion Act, specifically designating “smoking cafes” as non-smoking areas, on May 30. South Korea had banned smoking in all bars and restaurants since January 2015. Since April 2016, smoking was banned in areas within 10 meters of su

April 19, 2018

Netmarble targets N. America with first MMO strategy game ‘Iron Throne’

South Korean mobile game publishing giant Netmarble Games said Thursday that it would launch next month its first-ever mobile multiplayer strategy game “Iron Throne,” which the firm hopes will appeal to gamers worldwide, particularly in North America.Netmarble plans to begin servicing the game -- previously presented to the public under the name “Firstborn: Kingdom Come” -- in 251 territories worldwide via the Google Play and Apple App Store. China has been excluded from the list due to local re

April 19, 2018

Samsung showcases built-in home appliances in Italy

Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday it is participating in an Italian furniture exhibition, showcasing various built-in home appliance solutions for European consumers.The South Korean tech giant said it is taking part in the Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2018 in Milan, which has drawn together 2,000 companies from 160 countries. Samsung said it has forged ties with various European partners, including Germany's Nolte and Italy's Veneta Cucine for the event. Models pose with Samsung Electr

April 18, 2018

South Korea mediocre in cloud computing readiness: BSA

South Korea ranks 12th out of 24 of the world’s top information technology economies in terms of cloud computing readiness, according to the 2018 BSA Global Cloud Computing Scorecard, a bi-annual study that assesses and compares the cloud computing policies of different countries.Korea’s ranking remains unchanged from that of 2016, suggesting a need for more flexibility in the legal and regulatory environment for cloud services here, BSA said.BSA is an international software industry trade assoc

April 18, 2018

Kakao to introduce video-streaming app in Japan, leveraging success of manga platform

Kakao, the operator of South Korea’s dominant mobile messenger KakaoTalk, will introduce this summer a new video streaming app in Japan that will leverage the content and “free-if-you-wait” business model behind its popular manga comics platform Piccoma.The launch of Piccoma TV was announced by Kakao Japan during a press conference held in Tokyo Tuesday to mark the two-year anniversary of Piccoma’s introduction in Japan.The upcoming service, dubbed Piccoma TV, will be launched as early as this A

April 18, 2018

Kakao’s Melon app dominates Korea’s music streaming service market

Melon, the music streaming app operated by South Korean mobile business giant Kakao, dominates the country’s music streaming service market, leaving little room for foreign players like Apple Music to join the competition, new analytics data released Tuesday showed.According to Seoul-based app analytics firm WiseApp, Melon was, by a large margin, the top-used music streaming service here in March this year. Melon saw 5.69 million users as of March 2018, up 7.6 percent from 5.29 million users in

April 17, 2018

Bayer, KOTRA choose 3 Korean digital health startups for acceleration program

Bayer Korea and the Korea Trade-Investment and Promotion Agency on Tuesday announced three South Korean digital health startups selected to join its venture acceleration program designed to help promising startups pursuing new businesses in the health technology space.　The three finalists include Is It Fresh, which has developed a disposable Internet of a Things sensor designed to be discarded after one-time use, Nuri Bio, an analysis reagent developer for early cancer diagnosis, and Deep Medi,

April 17, 2018

Samsung unveils 2018 edition of QLED TVs

Samsung Electronics Co. on Tuesday showcased its latest premium QLED TV models in South Korea that boast various artificial intelligence features.The South Korean tech giant said it will release 11 models with "intelligent displays," ranging from 55 to 82 inches throughout June, along with six more, including an 85-inch TV, by the end of this year. Samsung said it is especially focused on expanding its 2018 edition models that are sized 75 inches and above in line with market demand.The company

April 17, 2018

Scientists develop AI-based deep learning drug interaction, prediction system

A group of South Korean scientists have developed a deep learning system based on artificial intelligence that can precisely predict interactions between drugs, the government said Tuesday.According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the team led by Lee Sang-yup of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology developed the so-called deep drug-drug interactions technology, which can make it far easier to determine what kind of interaction will occur between various drugs.DDI is an impo

April 17, 2018

Google Play under FTC investigation in Korea for alleged abuse of market position

South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has reportedly begun investigating Google Play over allegations that the US tech giant’s mobile app marketplace abused its market position by pressuring local game publishers to initially launch new mobile games through Google Play only.　According to industry sources on Monday, Korea’s FTC has begun surveying local mobile game companies to review whether they were pressured or asked by Google to either “launch their games only through specific app marketplaces

April 16, 2018

SK unveils AI solution for reviewing resumes

SK Holdings Co. on Monday showcased a new human resources solution that utilizes artificial intelligence technology, allowing clients to simplify the process of reviewing resumes.The company said the program, "Aibril HR," will be utilized by the local recruitment service provider Scout.Under the cooperation, the two companies will carry out research to develop optimized solutions for clients. (123rf)SK said the solution will help employers save time in reviewing applicants' documents, and also b

April 16, 2018

LG to start global sales of AI-powered OLED TVs

LG Electronics Inc. said Sunday it will start global sales of the 2018 editions of organic light-emitting diode TVs, which are equipped with its artificial-intelligence platform DeepThinQ this week.The South Korean tech giant said the new OLED TVs will hit the US market on Monday, and gradually expand to countries in Europe, South America and Asia down the road.LG Electronics said it will display the OLED TVs at some 500 branches of US retailer Best Buy, showcasing the company's latest Alpha 9 p

April 15, 2018

S. Korean radio agency approves Google speaker

South Korea's state radio agency has approved Google's artificial-intelligence (AI) speakers, paving the way for the speakers to be released as early as the first half of this year, industry sources said Sunday.The National Radio Research Agency approved the Google Home and the Google Home Mini AI speakers earlier this month, according to the sources. The Google Home accounted for 31 percent of the US market for AI speakers last year, trailing Amazon.com's Echo, which holds 69 percent, according

April 15, 2018

[Weekender] ‘Gramming’ your way to fitness

In the age of social media, workout routines and diet plans are easily coupled with the desire to share these efforts with friends and followers online.At the last count, more than 1 million posts each under hashtags “dietgram” and “dietmeal” in Korean have been shared on Instagram, a social platform that is quickly expanding its user base here. The word “diet” in Korean implies a wide range of activities that one does to lose weight or remain fit, from eating less to exercising regularly at the

April 13, 2018

LG Electronics to exhibit smart home with Natuzzi in Italy

LG Electronics said Friday it will exhibit a smart home filled with the company’s Signature premium appliances harmonizing with Italy’s luxury furniture by Natuzzi during Milano Design Week on Tuesday.At Natuzzi’s exhibition booth, LG will decorate a living room with its Signature organic light-emitting diode TV, air purifier, ThinQ speaker and smart lights surrounding the brand’s famous Colosseo sofa, and showcase how visitors can operate the appliances by issuing verbal commands while they sit

April 13, 2018

Samsung focuses on expanding patent holdings in US

South Korean tech titan Samsung Electronics is increasing its patent holdings outside Korea, in the United States particularly, in a bid to prepare for intensifying intellectual property rights disputes, according to the industry on Friday. Samsung held a total of 119,337 patents across the globe as of the end of 2017, according to industry data. The number of Samsung’s patents with the US stood at 46,150, while the Korean company had 24,860 patents in its home country and 10,509 in Europe. The

April 13, 2018

Uber to up its background checks for drivers

DETROIT, US (AP) -- Uber will start doing annual criminal background checks on U.S. drivers and hire a company that constantly monitors criminal arrests as it tries to do a better job of keeping riders safe. Uber (AP-Yonhap)The move announced Thursday is one of several actions taken by the ride-hailing company under new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who said that the changes aren't just being done to polish the company's image, which has been tarnished by driver misbehavior and a long string of other e

April 12, 2018

Samsung sued by US-based PACid for patent infringement on smartphone biometrics

South Korean smartphone giant Samsung Electronics has been sued by US-based data security company PACid Technologies for infringing the American firm’s patents on biometric solutions, according to a US legal resources website and news reports on Thursday. On Justia, a US legal resources website, brief information of the case filed on Friday by PACid Technologies with the Texas Eastern District Court was posted, revealing that the Korean tech titan is involved in another major patent infringement

April 12, 2018

Much of future AI tech usage to come from Asia-Pacific: Google

Google has made it clear through its “AI first” initiative that technological progress will not stop in the mobile age but take a new leap forward with artificial intelligence, as AI engines will allow people to do much more with their smartphones or electronic devices than is possible now.　Though the common perception is that AI will mostly impact developed countries in the West where its roots lie, Google’s Asia-Pacific President Karim Temsamani said that on the contrary, much of the growth fr

April 12, 2018

Samsung expands into built-in kitchen appliances market with Sempio

Samsung Electronics on Wednesday opened a cooking studio filled with its built-in appliances in partnership with local food company Sempio, announcing its expansion strategy for the 1 trillion won ($937 million) built-in market. A range of Samsung’s premium kitchen appliances from its Internet of Things-based Family Hub refrigerator, bottom-mounted freezer-type fridge, induction cooktop and WaterWall dishwasher to its built-in oven are set up in the cooking studio, dubbed “Sempio Korean Taste Sp

April 11, 2018