Mars rover photos featured at U.S. museum

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Ten years after NASA landed two rovers on Mars for a 90-day mission, one is still exploring, and the project has generated hundreds of thousands of images from the planet’s surface.Now the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is presenting more than 50 of the best photographs from the two rovers known as Spirit and Opportunity in an art exhibit curated by the scientists who have led the mission.“Spirit and Opportunity: 10 Years Roving Across Mars” opens Thursday and incl

Jan. 8, 2014

Long shots: Galaxies from 13.2b years ago

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The Hubble Space Telescope has peered back to a chaotic time 13.2 billion years ago when never-before-seen galaxies were tiny, bright blue and full of stars bursting to life all over the place.Thanks to some complex physics tricks, NASA’s aging telescope is just starting to see the universe at its infancy in living color and detail.Images released by NASA on Tuesday show galaxies that are 20 times fainter than those pictured before. They are from a new campaign to have the 23-y

Jan. 8, 2014

One-way trip to Mars? Sign me up, says Frenchwoman

PARIS (AFP) ― A comfortable, middle-class Parisian life may be the envy of many people, but Florence Porcel would give it all up to be among the first Earthlings to settle on Mars ― even with no option of return.“I have always felt a bit cramped on Earth,” the self-confessed space junkie told AFP, delighted to be shortlisted with some 1,000 other aspiring voyagers for Mars One ― a private project to colonize the Red Planet from 2024.“I have always dreamt of exploring other worlds,” the 30-year-o

Jan. 8, 2014

Growing number of seniors caring for other seniors

NOBLESVILLE, Indiana (AP) ― Paul Gregoline lies in bed, awaiting the helper who will get him up, bathed and groomed. He is 92 years old, has Alzheimer’s disease and needs a hand with nearly every task the day brings. When the aide arrives, though, he doesn’t look so different from the client himself ― bald and bespectacled. “Just a couple of old geezers,” jokes Warren Manchess, the 74-year-old caregiver.As demand for senior services provided by nurses’ aides, home health aides and other such wor

Jan. 8, 2014

Don’t sleep too little, or too much

Sleeping less or more than seven to eight hours a night heightens the risk of death, a study suggested. 　The study, conducted by a medical research team at Seoul National University, followed the sleeping patterns of 13,164 Koreans for 17 years since 1993 to determine the suitable amount of sleep. 　Those who sleep less than five hours have a 21 percent of higher risk of death, while sleeping more than 10 hours can increase death risks by 36 percent, according to the research.　“We found out that

Jan. 8, 2014

Samsung, LG showcase first bendable TVs

LAS VEGAS ― Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, the world’s top two TV makers, heralded the dawn of a truly flexible TV era as they unveiled the world’s first bendable television displays at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas on Monday.Samsung’s bendable TV, featuring an 85-inch display that can curve simply with the use of a remote control, took the center stage of its press conference held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, a venue for the CES. The company expects the bendable TV

Jan. 7, 2014

Michael Bay apologizes over Samsung mishap

LAS VEGAS ― Michael Bay, a Hollywood director who has directed a number of blockbusters including the Transformers series, apologized on Tuesday for walking off the stage during an event for Samsung Electronics at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.“Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES. I was about to speak for Samsung for this awesome curved 105-inch UHD TV. I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the exec vice president’s intro line and then the teleprompter got lost. Then the p

Jan. 7, 2014

Renowned designer Berkus partners with LG Electronics

In his multi-year engagement as artistic advisor, Berkus will work closely with the LG Studio design team to provide input on their premium products, particularly from a design perspective, and help ensure that LG Studio appliances continue to meet evolving consumer needs and stay at the forefront of kitchen design trends.One of the nation’s most sought-after designers and an expert on accessible and inspirational design, Berkus is an award-winning interior designer, host of NBC’s upcoming “Amer

Jan. 7, 2014

Next-generation TVs still Samsung, LG battleground

LAS VEGAS ― Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics this week reinforced their prowess as the world’s top two television makers in unveiling their so-called “bendable TVs” ― televisions with displays that are actually flexible, not just curved. Both had ultrahigh definition, but there was a big gap in their display panel technology: Samsung was based on LED lighting, while LG went for OLED.While both were lauded as next-generation display technologies, it seemed that once again Samsung had the up

Jan. 7, 2014

LG unveils Web-connected TV running WebOS acquired from HP

LG Electronics Inc. unveiled its first Web-connected television that runs on the software platform it acquired from Hewlett-Packard Co. last year. The world’s second-largest maker of TVs, which showcased the new set at the International CES how in Las Vegas, bought the WebOS operating system for an undisclosed amount. The rebuilt platform, which was originally developed by Palm Inc., will feature in more than 70 percent of LG’s smart TVs this year, the company said in an emailed statement. LG, b

Jan. 7, 2014

Earth appears to be an oddity, astronomers say

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Astronomers call them super-Earths, and they are abundant outside our solar system. But the more experts learn about them, the weirder our own planet seems in comparison.Planets the size of Earth and up to four times larger are believed to make up about three-quarters of the planet candidates discovered by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft.Astronomers have eagerly catalogued some 3,000 of these planets in the hopes that they may point to the existence of life elsewhere in the galaxy.Bu

Jan. 7, 2014

Slowing mobile sales sap Samsung Electronics profit

 Expectations of further weak earnings from Korea’s blue-chip companies beset by a strong won are likely to send another shock to the stock market, analysts said.Samsung Electronics kicked off the earnings season, reporting an estimated 6 percent on-year drop of its operating profit at 8.3 trillion won ($7.8 billion) in the fourth quarter of last year, well below the market prediction of over 9 trillion won.Institutional and foreign investors had been unloading their shares ahead of the tech gia

Jan. 7, 2014

Tech behemoths to showcase ‘Internet of Things’

LAS VEGAS ― From smart homes to wearable devices and driverless cars, global technology leaders are set to showcase their latest gadgets at the International CES in Las Vegas this week.The world’s biggest electronics trade show will kick off Tuesday for a four-day run, featuring more than 3,200 exhibitors with products spanning 15 different categories. Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics plan to unveil their advanced smart home systems controlled by mobile devices. “We have made consistent ef

Jan. 5, 2014

[Graphic News] Time spent on Internet portals

A survey by KT’s economic research center DIGIECO showed that Web portal use was highest by wired Internet, with 1.9 hours, followed by smartphones with 1.5 hours and tablet PCs with 0.8 hour.Lifestyle, family and culture-oriented use is highest on wired Internet with 1.9 hours. For smartphones, social network and fashion-oriented use is the highest because of the ability to use social media regardless of time and place.

Jan. 5, 2014

Infectious diseases on the rise in Korea

The number of infectious diseases in South Korea surged last year, reflecting the steady rise in the average temperatures on the Korean Peninsula, and raising concerns about a change in broader disease patterns. A total of 77,215 Koreans came down with infectious diseases in 2013, up about 50 percent from the previous year, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Tick-borne infections took a bigger share, as their habitats moved north as the average temperatures went up. “The

Jan. 5, 2014

Samsung, LG to showcase smart homes at CES

LAS VEGAS ― Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are poised to showcase their latest technologies at the International CES in Las Vegas from Tuesday.The most significant aspect of the products and ideas from both Samsung and LG are the smart home initiatives. Samsung introduced the “Samsung Smart Home” system, which is voice-activated. It also boasts compatibility with a broad range of electronic products that may in the future include rival brands. Within the smart home system, connectivity b

Jan. 5, 2014