Sony unveiled on Tuesday a laptop-tablet hybrid computer in the hopes of becoming a trend setter in the Korean market. “The VAIO Fit multi-flip PC will become the new standard for premium laptop manufacturers, and we will allow customers to experience a whole new computing environment,” Sony Korea CEO Kenji Sakai said at an unveiling event in Seoul. Featuring a hinge in the middle of the back cover, which enables the screen to flip over, the latest product switches between laptop, tablet and vie

Nov. 12, 2013

Tizen, the open-source operating system Samsung hopes will trump Apple’s iOS or at least help it reduce its reliance on Google’s Android, may hit the markets as early as the first quarter of next year, sources said on Monday.“NTT Docomo has asked for a January release, but this is probably not going to happen so we expect the phones to come within the first quarter of next year,” one source told the local media on the sidelines of the first Tizen Developer Summit Korea.NTT Docomo, a leading Japa

Nov. 11, 2013

Samsung Electronics is ready to soon market its “one-chip” solution in a bid to snatch the lead in the next generation of wearable and flexible devices. “In September, we started to mass produce the one-chip, which is a combination of the AP and modem chips. We believe the chips will be fitted into actual devices in the near future,” said Woo Nam-sung, head of Samsung Electronics System LSI unit at Samsung’s investor relations session last week. The name of the one-chip will be “ModAP,” a term c

Nov. 10, 2013

The revenue gap between the leaders and followers of the nation’s top three Web-portal operators appeared to have widened, mainly on account of mobile service performances, according to the latest regulatory filings.Naver, as the leader, continued its reign, while Daum fell further behind with SK Communications trailing in the red. Naver raked in 585.3 billion won ($550.3 million) in revenue in the third quarter, up 31.9 percent on-year and 2.6 percent on-quarter. Operating profit stood at 104.5

Nov. 8, 2013

LG Electronics is well known for its eye-catching ads, mostly targeted at overseas consumers, and it has scored another hit with a viral ad spoof that ran on YouTube.The video, created by a local ad agency named Krema, has recorded almost 4 million hits since its release in September, all thanks to an imaginative scenario coupled with some unusual actors.  The titular character is a chicken by the name of “Lizzy,” who is out to show just how the optical image stabilization works on the LG G2 sma

Nov. 7, 2013

Health authorities are on alert over recently heightened levels of fine particles in the air, which can cause respiratory problems and other irritations in the eye, nose and throat. About 30 times smaller than a human hair, ultrafine particles measure less than 2.5 micrometers across and are carried by the wind, much of them coming from cities in northern China, including Harbin and Beijing. Recent studies showed they can directly enter the bronchial tubes and interfere with the gas exchange in

Nov. 7, 2013

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that can last for 10-20 years. The affected patient will have a high chance of recurrence over their lifetime, even after initial improvement. Approximately 1-2 percent of the world’s population has this skin condition, and 60 people are newly diagnosed with psoriasis in every 100,000 people. Therefore, it is expected that a significant number of people will suffer from psoriasis in Korea. Psoriasis is characterized by scaly, dry skin with redness, together

Nov. 7, 2013

Is the smart TV market on the decline? If the current TV market is anything to go by, the answer may be yes. Then, will Tizen, Samsung and Intel’s open source mobile operating system, be able to turn the tide? Kim Hyun-seok, head of Samsung Electronics’ visual display unit, appeared to be stumped for an answer. The executive looked visibly rattled and was silent for several seconds before he said he was unable to comment. Kim was among the high-profit TV and related industry figures and represen

Nov. 7, 2013

YUJIN E-Tech, a photo etching firm in South Korea, is seeking to expand its business overseas by exploring potential foreign buyers, the company said.Established in 1993, the company specializes in the etching of numerous goods including metal keypads, juice extractors and filters, name plates, car doors, speakers, grills, and other sorts of electronics.Due to the nation’s harsh business reality facing small subcontractors, YUJIN E-Tech has decided to seek better deals from abroad where it hopes

Nov. 7, 2013

Competition to dominate the homescreens of smartphones is heating up as new Android interface-based customized services emerge in the market.Market analysts forecast that those who dominate smartphones’ homescreens will be able to jockey for position in the mobile era. Jay Seo, CEO of Buzzpia, hopes to get everyone around the world talking about the launcher developed by his firm, Buzz Launcher.“The first target market will be the United States. Success in the nation is especially important sinc

Nov. 6, 2013

CFO means “chief financial officer.” But, increasingly, I think it has an even bigger meaning. At some top-performing finance organizations, the “F” from CFO is taking on the meaning of “future.”The CFO is the person in most companies who is in the best position to harness the expanding flood of data that can be used to inform and drive corporate strategy. We can’t just be scorekeepers. We need to help the company score ― meaning discovering new revenue growth opportunities.We need to understand

Nov. 6, 2013

Unveiling its first curved smartphone, the G Flex, on Tuesday, LG Electronics expressed its confidence in taking the lead in the nascent flexible smartphone market. “The G Flex is one that shows the right direction for flexible smartphones, and even smart gadgets such as smart watches, to follow. LG will maintain its high reputation in the flexible smartphone market,” said Ma Chang-min, vice president of LG Electronics’ domestic marketing division, at a press conference. The Seoul-based electron

Nov. 5, 2013