5G smartphones likely to emerge in 2019: report

Smartphones that run on the fifth-generation network are predicted to emerge starting from 2019, while current 4G network smartphones are likely to remain mainstream until 2022, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics on Sunday. “We predict 5G enabled smartphones will emerge from 2019, but it will start to ramp up volumes from 2021 onwards,” said Yiwen Wu, an analyst at Strategy Analytics, in a report, adding “4G has replaced 3G as the world’s dominating smartphone air-interface in 201

Aug. 13, 2017

Korea’s AR mobile game for children ‘Pororo Friends’ begins service

A South Korean company has officially launched “Pororo Friends,” a new augmented reality mobile game for children based on the characters of the global animation series “Pororo the Little Penguin.”　The children’s mobile game, now available on the Google Play app store, was developed by SocialNetwork Co., a local startup specializing in AR technology, in partnership with the producer of the Pororo series Iconix Entertainment. The Seoul-based ESA is the game’s publisher.SocialNetwork Co. began dev

Aug. 13, 2017

LG V30 expected to be equipped with FM radio

LG Electronics Inc.'s upcoming smartphone, the LG V30, is expected to allow users to enjoy FM radio broadcasting services, industry sources said Sunday.The South Korean tech giant joined ties with the US NextRadio application, allowing users to listen to FM radio via the V30, the sources said. (Yonhap)There has been a rising call for local tech firms to adopt FM radio on smartphones so users can get critical information during disasters.LG applied FM radio on the mid-end smartphone, the Q6, rele

Aug. 13, 2017

SK Telecom posts robust sales of portable AI device on first day

South Korea's top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. said Sunday it sold around 5,000 units of the portable edition of its artificial intelligence device NUGU on the first day of release.The mobile carrier said the sales of the NUGU Mini, which started Friday, were five times higher than the predecessor. (Yonhap)First released in September last year, NUGU focuses on providing household-related services. The mobile carrier has sold some 150,000 units of the original NUGU.SK Telecom said the NUGU Mini

Aug. 13, 2017

Chief science official steps down

Science, Technology and Innovation Office chief Park Ky-young leaves the Ministry of Science and ICT in Gwacheon on Friday. (Yonhap)Park Ky-young, President Moon Jae-in's newly appointed senior science innovation chief official, stepped down Friday amid escalating controversy over her involvement in a stem cell research scandal 11 years ago."I once again apologize for disappointing the people and causing continuous controversies," she said through a written statement released Friday evening."I s

Aug. 11, 2017

Leaks, rumors reveal Galaxy Note 8’s specifications

With less than two weeks to go before Samsung Electronics debuts its new flagship phablet Galaxy Note 8 in New York, numerous leaks and rumors have surfaced, revealing the device’s specifications, price and release dates. According to latest news reports citing insiders, the Galaxy Note 8 will sport a 6.3-inch display, which is the largest display ever to be featured on a premium smartphone and 0.6-inch larger than its predecessor, the Note 7. It will also feature a near edge-to-edge display lik

Aug. 11, 2017

LG, Samsung tech firms sweep viral video ads chart

South Korea's top two tech firms, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, swept the chart for the week's most viral video ads, according to an advertising industry website Friday.LG's "Nano Cell Super Match," featuring a shooting match between Steven Gerrard and Adam Lallana of Liverpool, scored over 33 million clicks this week to top the Viral Video Chart released by Ad Age for the second week of August. The ad was posted at the start of the month on YouTube.The former No. 1 ad for Apple Inc.'s

Aug. 11, 2017

[Monitor] Korea’s trade surplus in chips more than doubles

South Korea’s semiconductor trade surplus in the first seven months this year reached $28.9 billion, rising sharply from $12.6 billion in the same period in 2016, marking over a twofold on-year increase. This year’s figure so far already surpasses the combined surplus of $25.6 billion for 2016.It also shows that memory chips take up nearly half of the country‘s trade profits, casting concerns over the economy’s excessive dependency to the industry that is vulnerable to global market fluctuations

Aug. 10, 2017

New science official refuses to step down

President Moon Jae-in's newly appointed senior science innovation official said Thursday that she will not step down from the post amid growing calls for her resignation due to her involvement in a stem cell research fraud scandal 11 years ago.Park Ky-young, a biology professor at Sunchon National University, served as a senior advisor to former President Roh Moo-hyun for some two years until 2006 when she resigned over a shocking revelation that Hwang Woo-suk, the country's leading stem cell sc

Aug. 10, 2017

Instagram tops 10m active monthly users in Korea

Instagram, a photo-sharing app owned by US social networking giant Facebook, topped 10 million users in South Korea as of this month.Facebook Korea said Thursday that the number of monthly active users on Instagram surpassed 10 million as of August. Monthly active users refer to app users who log into the app more than once per month.Instagram was launched in Korea in December 2012. The photo-sharing app has since grown rapidly here, topping 6 million users as of March 2016. Globally, Instagram

Aug. 10, 2017

Kakao posts record revenue in Q2 on upbeat ad, content sales

South Korean mobile messaging giant Kakao said Thursday that it recorded its highest quarterly revenue to date in the second quarter, led by a hike in its advertising and content sales.　Kakao saw revenue of 468.4 billion won ($410.6 million) during the April-June period, marking a 24 percent jump on-year. During the same period, operating profit soared 68 percent on-year to 44.6 billion won. However, net profit came in at 12.5 billion won, down 6 percent on-year, due to increased operating expen

Aug. 10, 2017

Uber launches food delivery service in Korea

Uber Technologies Inc. launched its food delivery service in South Korea on Thursday, joining the country's heated delivery service app market.The mobile application UberEATS allows users to select food from registered restaurants and deliver the dishes by its delivery partners, its local unit Uber Korea said. "Food delivery is very advanced in Korea," said Allen Penn, Asia Pacific's head of UberEATS, during a press conference held in Seoul. "With that said, we still feel like we are at the very

Aug. 10, 2017

Samsung to live-stream concert of Coldplay via VR device

Samsung Electronics Co. said Thursday it will live-stream a concert of British rock band Coldplay slated for later this month through its virtual-reality device, the Gear VR.The South Korean tech giant said users of the Gear VR in around 50 countries will be able to enjoy the concert slated for next Thursday in Chicago (local time). (Yonhap)Samsung said the VR device will allow users to enjoy the live concert in 360 degrees, giving them a new experience as if they are actually at the venue."Sams

Aug. 10, 2017

Sharp expands sales of LCD, narrows gap with Samsung, LG

Japan-based Sharp Corp. saw its shipment of liquid crystal display panels double in the second quarter from a three-month period earlier, data showed Thursdays, narrowing its gap with South Korean rivals -- Samsung and LG.According to the data compiled by industry tracker WitsView, Samsung Electronics Co. stood as the world's No. 1 player in global LCD panels for TVs in the second quarter, followed by LG Electronics Inc. and China-based TCL Corp.Sharp shot up to become the fourth player over the

Aug. 10, 2017

[Herald Interview] CrucialTec takes formidable lead in on-display fingerprint

For Charles Ahn, it is only a matter of time before a new smartphone can authenticate a fingerprint on a display, rather than under it, thereby vastly improving accuracy.Ahn, chairman and CEO of CrucialTec, a Korea-based biometric solution developer, has been making investments for the development of the company’s patented Display Fingerprint Solution, or DFS, since 2012.  “Our technology is fully ready, and we are in talks with the world’s leading display manufacturers to see the first smartpho

Aug. 9, 2017

Opposition parties ramp up calls to cancel appointment of new science official

Opposition parties on Wednesday ratcheted up pressure on President Moon Jae-in to cancel his appointment of a senior science innovation official who was mired in a 2005 stem cell research fraud scandal.On Monday, Moon appointed Park Ky-young to lead the Science, Technology and Innovation Office at the Ministry of Science and ICT, triggering searing criticism from scientists, politicians and civic groups that called her unfit for the post billed as a science policy control tower.Park, a biology p

Aug. 9, 2017

Samsung Display vows to tap deeper into curved, slim displays

Samsung Display Co. said Wednesday it plans to tap deeper into the premium liquid crystal display business through premium, ultra-slim curved TVs."Samsung Display will continue to roll out investment and develop technologies for the premium curved LCD," the company said during a forum it hosted in China. Major Chinese tech brands, including TCL, Hisense and Xiaomi, participated in the event. (Yonhap)The South Korean company showcased what it calls a "S-Curved" 65-inch LCD, which bends not only a

Aug. 9, 2017

Harman joins Google in music-streaming biz

US-based Harman International Industries Inc., an audio and automotive company, recently joined forces with Google Inc. to enter the music-streaming business, the company said Wednesday.Under the agreement, the affiliate of Samsung Electronics Co. agreed to provide Google Play Music's services to its customers in 47 countries around the globe, including the United States, Russia, Germany and Brazil. The deal does not include South Korea. (Yonhap)Harman customers will be able to enjoy 40 million

Aug. 9, 2017

SKT launches first Korean-based portable AI speaker

SK Telecom has launched a portable artificial intelligence device with enhanced assistance services, it said Tuesday. Dubbed NUGU Mini, it is the country’s first Korean-based portable AI speaker, according to the company. It is a smaller and portable version of SKT’s home assistant NUGU speaker that was introduced last September and which currently has about 150,000 users here.  Models hold NUGU Mini devices at a picnic. (SK Telecom)The device measures 84 millimeters in width, 84 mm in length an

Aug. 8, 2017

Korea's nuclear policy to focus on 'safety'

South Korea is seeking to focus on safety over economic development while pushing for its nuclear policy, the ICT ministry said Tuesday, amid its move to phase out commercial atomic energy generation.The long-term road map on research and development for the nuclear sector was announced by the Ministry of Science and ICT. Details of the plan will be finalized after receiving opinions from frontline experts."R&D projects in the nuclear sector for the past 20 years have been pushed forward without

Aug. 8, 2017