S. Korean mobile carriers launch LTE data sharing service

South Korean mobile carriers KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. said Wednesday they plan to introduce a service that enables long-term evolution (LTE) data sharing among multiple mobile devices, as a growing number of people own more than one mobile gadget."The number of mobile gadgets owned by an individual is increasing as people are using them for different functions. The LTE data sharing plan will increase customer satisfaction since they can share LTE data among various devices," a KT official sai

Dec. 12, 2012

Biologic link to being gay or lesbian

Epigenetics -- how gene expression is regulated by temporary switches called epi-marks -- appears to be critical in determining sexuality, U.S. researchers say.Study co-author Sergey Gavrilets of the Working Group on Intragenomic Conflict at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis and a professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and colleagues said the study solved the evolutionary riddle of homosexuality. The finding that “sexually antagonistic” epi-marks, which

Dec. 12, 2012

Image of 'hobbit' human created

  An Australian anthropologist has created what she says is an evidence-based image of the tiny "hobbit" species known as Homo floresiensis.With a background in forensic science, Susan Hayes was able to flesh out the face of a 3-foot tall, 30-year-old female based on remains uncovered in the Liang Bua cave on the remote Indonesian island of Flores in 2003, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.Homo floresiensis, nicknamed hobbits because of their diminutive size, lived on the Indonesian island of F

Dec. 12, 2012

Study: Renewable energy can meet demand

Renewable energy has the potential to power a large electric grid fully 99.9 percent of the time economically by 2030, U.S. researchers say.A study by the University of Delaware and Delaware Technical Community College suggest a well-designed combination of wind power, solar power and storage in batteries and fuel cells would nearly always exceed electricity demand at costs comparable to today‘s electricity expenses, a university release reported Monday.“These results break the conventional wisd

Dec. 12, 2012

SKT, KEB open first ‘smart’ branch

In cooperation with mobile carrier SK Telecom, Korea Exchange Bank opened its first “smart bank” branch at Seoul Square in Namdaemun, Seoul, on Tuesday.The paperless bank uses an electronic documentation system, multi-financial service machine and video counseling with bank clerks, SK Telecom said. Dubbed the “Q’Plex Seoul Square Branch,” the bank’s “Smart Branch Device” is a banking machine equipped with the latest information and communication technologies, with which customers can process som

Dec. 11, 2012

Scientists to probe lake hidden under ice

British scientists say they are almost ready to begin an attempt to reach and analyze the water of an Antarctic lake buried under 2 miles of ice.The cold waters of Lake Ellsworth -- 9 miles long, nearly 2 miles wide and 525 feet deep -- have remained in the dark for up to half a million years, they said.Scientists say they hope a study of the ice-covered lake will help them understand the limits of where life is possible.Despite the high pressure of the lake‘s water and the absolute absence of s

Dec. 11, 2012

Motorola to pull out of Korea

Motorola Mobility announced Monday that it would withdraw most of its operations in Korea next year, in line with its global reorganization program.The Korean unit of the mobile handset maker said it was part of the restructuring that has been conducted by its U.S. headquarters.Company officials said Motorola was realigning research and development organizations globally to focus its strength on markets where it can compete most effectively.The company added that it would retain two business uni

Dec. 10, 2012

‘Apple created Samsung nightmare’

Apple may have turned Samsung into Frankenstein’s monster by entrusting it with the supply of iPhone components, a former employee of Apple’s strategy unit contended in a blog posting on Dec. 7. James Allworth, present fellow at the Forum for Growth and Innovation at Harvard Business School, said that Apple’s expensive, risky patent war against the South Korean handset maker was not the solution to end the dispute. Allworth wrote in his Asymco posting, “The problem that Apple is facing right now

Dec. 10, 2012

Chocolate, it's all about the guilt

The very guilt associated with indulging in forbidden foods such as chocolate can, in fact, enhance women's enjoyment of them, U.S. researchers say. Lead researcher Kelly Goldsmith of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago said the study findings show "experiencing the emotion of guilt can increase pleasure," Time magazine reported In one of the study's experiments, 103 participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the group primed to feel more guil

Dec. 10, 2012

Fittest students get higher grades

Middle school students in the best physical shape do better than their less fit classmates on standardized tests and report cards, U.S. researchers say.Lead researcher Dawn Coe, an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville who conducted the research as a doctoral student in Michigan State University‘s kinesiology department, said the study was among the first to examine how academic performance relates to all aspects of physical fitness -- including body fat, muscular stren

Dec. 10, 2012

Apple Maps glitch could be deadly: Australian police

Australian police Monday warned motorists about using the map system on new Apple iPhones after rescuing several people left stranded in the wilderness, saying the errors could prove deadly.Victoria state police said drivers were sent “off the beaten track” in recent weeks while attempting to get to the inland town of Mildura, being directed instead to the middle of a national park.“Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the park and temperatures can reach as high as 4

Dec. 10, 2012

Parasite has links to self-harm

A parasite dubbed the “cat parasite” leads to self-harming behaviors such as suicide, according to Swedish researchers. However, the discovery shouldn’t raise concern as humans have been infected with it for a long time.In a study, the team first infected human dendritic cells with toxoplasma, and observed the infected ones secreting the signal substance, GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid). In the following experiment conducted on live mice, it found that the infected dendritic cells spread through

Dec. 10, 2012

Firm hopes to sell $1.5b trips to the moon

Attention wealthy nations and billionaires: A team of former NASA executives will fly you to the moon in an out-of-this-world commercial venture combining the wizardry of Apollo and the marketing of Apple.For a mere $1.5 billion, the business is offering countries the chance to send two people to the moon and back, either for research or national prestige. And if you are an individual with that kind of money to spare, you too can go the moon for a couple days.Some space experts, though, are skep

Dec. 9, 2012

Korean scientists find ways to repair DNA damage

Korean scientists have discovered a way to restore DNA in human cells damaged by ultraviolet radiation from the sun, chemical and toxic agents, and smoking that can potentially lead to aging and cancer.A team led by professor Kang Tae-hong of Dong-A University Department of Biological Science said nucleotide excision repair, or NER, holds the key through the modulation of enzymes to prevent diseases such as skin cancer, developmental disorder and progeria.NER has been widely known to play a vita

Dec. 9, 2012

Parents may live longer than childless

A study involving Danish couples found a correlation between childless couples dying earlier than couples with children, researchers said. Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark studied more than 21,000 couples having in vitro fertilization treatment between 1994 and 2005 -- while 15,210 children were born, 1,564 were adopted, the Daily Telegraph reported. During the study period, 96 women and 200 men died. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found the

Dec. 9, 2012