[Inside Tech] Translation technology evolves through artificial intelligence

It may not be long before automated translation programs catch up with human translators, as machines are evolving with the help of artificial intelligence to “learn” how to translate by mimicking the workings of the human brain. 　Major tech companies including Google and South Korean portal website operator Naver have recently rolled out translation software relying on a new AI-based computing system called “neural machine translation.” 　Neural machine translation is a new transl

Feb. 13, 2017

Crucial week ahead for Samsung’s Harman takeover

This week is a crucial time for Samsung Electronics’ ambition toward the automotive electronics industry, as shareholders of Harman International Industries Inc. will hold a meeting Friday to vote on a deal by Samsung to acquire the US car technology firm, according to sources Monday.Samsung announced an $8 billion deal to take over Harman last November for its new growth engine. Under the deal, the Korean tech giant will buy Harman at $112 per share, paying a 37 percent premium on the stock’s 3

Feb. 13, 2017

Samsung Display rises as major supplier for Apple

Samsung Display has received a display panel order from Apple for an additional 5 trillion won ($4.35 billion) in organic light-emitting diodes. Totaling 13 trillion won so far, Samsung Display has proved a major supplier for Apple’s upcoming iPhone models, sources said Monday. According to sources from the display industry, Samsung Display recently won the order for 60 million OLED panels. Considering the Korean display maker had already clinched a deal to supply 100 million flexible OLED panel

Feb. 13, 2017

Korea to invest W54.5b in unmanned vehicles by 2021

South Korea finalized a five-year master plan to invest a total of 54.5 billion won ($47.2 million) to nurture and advance the local unmanned vehicle industry, the science ministry said Monday.The government will concentrate efforts on boosting the development of drones, self-driving cars, unmanned ships and agricultural machines by 2021, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said. (Yonhap)The ministry earlier designated the sector as one of the key strategic industries that character

Feb. 13, 2017

Coinplug expands ATM wire transfer service via BGF finlink

Coinplug, a blockchain technology company headed by CEO Joonsun Uhr, announced Monday that it recently launched a wire transfer service in cooperation with BGF finlik, a manufacturer and operator of automatic teller machines headed by CEO Lee Jong-deok. An affiliate of BGF Retail, which operates the CU convenience store chain, BGF finlink currently operates ATMs and cash dispensers at over 10,000 convenience stores, including CU, nationwide. Coinplug’s ATM wire transfer service enables users to

Feb. 13, 2017

Google pushes HTTPS for web security

The security director at Google Inc. said Monday that a HTTPS-based website is a safer way to protect users from possible security attacks, emphasizing that major South Korean search engines do not support this system. "Top websites in (South) Korea that don't support HTTPS are Naver and Daum. It's not just a problem for (South) Korea but a challenge for the world and the developers," Parisa Tabriz, the head of the team who protects Google Chrome and its billions of users from criminal hackers,

Feb. 13, 2017

Netmarble Games geared for blockbuster IPO on mobile game success

South Korea’s Netmarble Games has geared up to make a blockbuster stock market debut this year, boosted by the success of mobile game “Lineage II: Revolution,” which spearheaded the firm’s high earnings in 2016.　　Last September when Netmarble submitted its IPO plans to the Korea Exchange, analysts had predicted the Korean mobile game giant’s market capitalization would reach around 10 trillion won ($8.7 billion).　However, following the explosive popularity of its newest mobile game, local analys

Feb. 12, 2017

Korea opens VR, AR complex in Seoul

South Korea's science ministry opened a new complex in western Seoul on Friday to nurture the virtual reality and augmented reality industry as the country aims to become a global powerhouse in the sectors.The so-called "KoVAC" is located at Digital Media City, a high-tech complex in western Seoul, to accommodate various VR and AR companies, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said. A VR exhibition in Seoul in 2016. (Yonhap file photo)The complex is part of the government's broader

Feb. 10, 2017

Uber claims Korea’s self-driving car infringes trademark

US ride-sharing company Uber Technologies said Seoul National University has infringed upon its trademark and it is preparing to take legal action, according to Korea’s top university on Friday. “Uber told us the name of our self-driving car SNUver infringed their trademark Uber and it is in preparation of taking legal action. We consider this as tyranny of the multinational corporation,” a Seoul National University professor Seo Seung-woo, who has led the development of self-driving car SNUver,

Feb. 10, 2017

iPhone boasts most storage space

Apple Inc.'s iPhone has the biggest storage capacity among 10 smartphones manufactured by global tech firms, data showed Friday.The average storage capacity of iPhones came to 66 gigabytes during the third quarter of last year, the data by research firm CounterPoint showed. (Apple Inc.)Apple shipped its latest iPhone 7 with a minimum of 32 GBs of capacity for the entry-level model in September 2016.Four Chinese vendors -- Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi and Huawei Technologies Co. -- followed Apple in the to

Feb. 10, 2017

Tech-savvy youngsters turn to mobile apps for everyday life

Chang Ji-eun, a 27-year-old graphic designer, starts her day with a one-hour pilates class at a premium boutique studio in the upscale neighborhood of Cheongdam in southern Seoul and gets healthy homemade-style soup made with "doenjang," or soybean paste, delivered for dinner. She does both of these through applications on her iPhone.With the use of smartphones growing rapidly, online-to-offline (O2O) startups have sprung up in South Korea in recent years, enabling consumers to use an app or web

Feb. 10, 2017

LG to launch 2 Android-powered smartwatches in US

LG Electronics Inc. said Thursday it will launch two smartwatches that run on the next Android operating system in the United States later this week.LG's Watch Style and Watch Sport -- which are Google Inc.'s first Android Wear 2.0 wearables -- will hit the shelves in the US on Friday (local time), the South Korean tech company said. LG Electronics Inc. will launch two smartwatches that on the next Android operating systems (OS) in the United States on Feb. 10, 2017. (LG Electronics Inc.)Android

Feb. 9, 2017

Samsung Electronics controls over 70% of global VR market

Samsung Electronics Co. emerged as the leader in the global virtual reality market in 2016, accounting for more than 70 percent of 6.3 million VR devices shipped worldwide, a report showed Thursday.The South Korean tech giant sold about 4.51 million units last year, or 71.6 percent of total shipments, the report by analytics firm SuperData showed. (Samsung Electronics Co.)Samsung launched the Gear VR in 2014 in cooperation with the Oculus VR, which connects to high-end Samsung smartphones. The G

Feb. 9, 2017

[Newsmaker] Despite challenges, SK hynix to beef up NAND

SK hynix CEO Park Sung-wook has vowed to boost the company’s three-dimensional NAND flash memory business this year, a remark that is interpreted by market watchers as a strong determination to acquire Toshiba’s NAND unit. On Feb.3, SK hynix submitted a non-binding proposal to purchase a 20 percent stake in its Japanese rival Toshiba’s NAND chip business for about 3 trillion won ($2.62 billion). (Yonhap)SK hynix’s offer nearly doubles the current market value of the Toshiba unit that is around $

Feb. 9, 2017

LG Electronics' new smartwatch hits US stores

LG Electronics unveiled the world’s first smartwatches to run on Google’s Android Wear 2.0 in the US on Wednesday. Android Wear 2.0 is Google’s newest operating system designed exclusively for smartwatches, a follow-up from the first Android Wear 1.0, which was unveiled in 2014. LG said its two smartwatches, LG Smart Sport and LG Smart Style, will go on sale Feb. 10 (local time) in the US market. It plans to soon unveil the devices in the UK, UAE, Taiwan, Russia and Canada gradually. They will b

Feb. 9, 2017

Telecoms locked in 'world's first' row over AI

South Korea's telecom giants are engaged in a war of nerves over the title of "world's first" concerning the artificial intelligence-based Internet TV service, which could hurt customers, industry watchers said Thursday.The controversy revolves around KT Corp.'s TV set-top box with an AI system. The top Internet service provider requested the broadcast advertising watchdog Wednesday suspend deliberation of its planned TV commercial on the new device. Models pose during KT Corp.'s launch ceremony

Feb. 9, 2017

Korea to build 240 electric chargers at outlets, stations in 2017

South Korea will build 240 electric vehicle charging stations at shopping malls and railway stations by the end of 2017 as a way to expand infrastructure for green cars in urban areas, the government said Thursday.According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, 230 EV super chargers will be established at large discount store chains, including E-Mart and Homeplus, in Seoul and other major cities, while 10 will be set up at commuter train stations. (Yonhap)People can enjoy shopping when

Feb. 9, 2017

Kakao's 2016 operating profit gains 31%

Kakao Corp., the operator of South Korea's top mobile messenger KakaoTalk, on Thursday said its operating profit for last year rose 31.1 percent on-year, helped by strong sales of mobile games, music and other content. Full-year operating profit reached 116.1 billion won ($101.3 million), the company said in a regulatory filing.  (Yonhap)Net profit, however, fell 14.7 percent on-year to 67.2 billion won, while sales jumped 57.1 percent to 1.46 trillion won, according to the filing. Last year, Ka

Feb. 9, 2017

LG to build green corporate buildings in New Jersey

LG Electronics said Wednesday it had broken ground for new corporate buildings in New Jersey, which will serve as a foothold for LG to focus on the North American premium home appliance market. LG will invest $300 million to construct two office buildings on a plot of about 110,000 square meters by 2019. The gross area of the new buildings, 63,000 square meters, is about six times larger than LG’s current office building there and will be able to accommodate more than 1,000 employees. The South

Feb. 8, 2017