Google assistant goes beyond the pixel to take on Apple's Siri

Five months after introducing its digital assistant, Google is sharing the feature with Android partners, hoping the service can boost its odds to win customers from Apple Inc.'s iPhone. Alphabet Inc.'s Google is making its intelligent assistant -- a service that answers queries, plays music and completes tasks -- available for smartphones using the two newest versions of its Android software. It's showcasing the service with a closer partnership with LG Electronics Co. announced Sunday at the M

Feb. 26, 2017

New LG phone influenced by Samsung's Note 7 troubles

NEW YORK (AP) -- Samsung's fiasco with its fire-prone Note 7 phone has pushed its rival LG to take additional precautions with its next smartphone.Samsung recalled millions of Note 7 phones after dozens overheated and caught on fire . Samsung blamed numerous problems with its batteries and announced tighter quality controls and more rigorous testing. LG G5 (Yonhap)LG said it's doubling the separation between the battery's positive and negative chambers to reduce the risk of a short. Samsung's in

Feb. 26, 2017

Sharp vision: New glasses help the legally blind see

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Jeff Regan was born with underdeveloped optic nerves and had spent most of his life in a blur. Then four years ago, he donned an unwieldy headset made by a Toronto company called eSight.Suddenly, Regan could read a newspaper while eating breakfast and make out the faces of his co-workers from across the room. He's been able to attend plays and watch what's happening on stage, without having to guess why people around him were laughing.  (eSight)"These glasses have made my l

Feb. 26, 2017

LG unveils larger, Google AI-powered G6

LG Electronics unveiled its latest flagship smartphone G6 equipped with a larger display and Google’s machine-learning software, stealing the spotlight on the eve of the Mobile World Congress that kicks off in Barcelona on Monday. The archrival of South Korea’s top smartphone maker strategically launched its newest model, taking advantage of the postponed release of Samsung’s Galaxy S8 series. LG’s latest smartphone was released at Sant Jordi Club in the southern part of the city, with ab

Feb. 26, 2017

[Health-tech Korea] Korea's Healcerion introduces ‘next stethoscope’

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles highlighting South Korea’s promising start-ups in the emerging sectors of digital healthcare and next-generation medical devices. This is the second installment. –Ed.In the medical world, the stethoscope -- used to listen to the internal sounds of the human body -- has long been a symbolic tool for doctors.　But a Seoul-based startup has come up with a pocket-sized ultrasound imaging device that connects to smartphones and tablets, in the hope t

Feb. 26, 2017

[MWC] What to expect at Mobile World Congress 2017

IT and communications industry officials walk around to register for the Mobile World Congress 2017 at the Fira Gran Via Exhibition Center in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday. (Yonhap)BARCELONA -- With the theme of “The next element,” Mobile World Congress 2017 kicks off Monday, with around 2,200 tech firms showcasing their new devices and technologies. The biggest trends of MWC, one of the more highly anticipated tech events that happens every year in Barcelona, Spain, is likely to be artificial int

Feb. 26, 2017

[MWC 2017] Korean tech firms showcasing new gadgets, solutions at MWC

BARCELONA -- A slew of high-profile gadgets and solutions by Korean tech giants -- Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, SK Telecom and KT -- are ready to grab attention at the Mobile World Congress 2017, which kicks off Monday for a four-day run. Models experience virtual reality through Samsung Electronics’ Gear VR at the VR 4D Experiential Zone at the company’s booth for the Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona on Sunday. (Samsung Electronics)Samsung ElectronicsThe Galaxy S8 is not making a

Feb. 26, 2017

Samsung launches mobile payment system in Malaysia

Samsung Electronics Co., South Korea's tech giant, said Friday it has launched its mobile payment system in Malaysia, expanding its overseas foothold for the flagship mobile transaction platform.A launching event was attended by some 300 officials and media personnel in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, the company said in a statement. (Yonhap)The world's top maker of smartphones has joined hands with four major banking firms there, including Malaysia's Maybank and Citibank, to offer the mobile

Feb. 24, 2017

Korea ranks fifth among OECD nations in fixed broadband penetration

Switzerland ranked first among advanced countries in terms of fixed broadband subscriptions last year, with South Korea ranking fifth, according to data by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on Friday.Switzerland was the leading country for fixed broadband subscriptions as of the end of June 2016 among the 36 OECD countries, with 51.42 subscribers per 100 inhabitants, the data showed. (Yonhap)Denmark came in second with 42.76 and the Netherlands with 41.77, while South Kor

Feb. 24, 2017

Samsung mass produces processor chipset using unprecedented 10-nm tech

Exynos 9 (Samsung Electronics)Samsung Electronics announced Thursday it has begun mass production of the Exynos 9 Series, its latest premium application processor. The octa-core Exynos 9 is Samsung’s first processor chipset produced by the industry’s first 10-nanometer FinFET process technology with an improved 3-D transistor structure. The technology allows up to 27 percent higher performance while consuming 40 percent less power when compared to 14 nm technology.The new Exynos 9 Series 8895 is

Feb. 23, 2017

LG moves to keep premium TV crown

Brian Kwon (left), vice president of home and entertainment at LG Electronics, and Choi Sang-gyu, CEO of Korea Sales & Marketing Co., introduce the LG Signature OLED TV series at the company’s R&D campus in Yangjae-dong, southern Seoul on Thursday. (LG Electronics)LG Electronics is going all out to cement the No. 1 spot in the global premium television market this year by launching its flagship TV series earlier than archrival Samsung Electronics.The leading TV manufacturer Thursday launched the

Feb. 23, 2017

Smartphones with on-screen fingerprint scanning to debut this year

Fingerprint module maker CrucialTec said on Feb. 22 that it will start supplying its on-screen fingerprint scanning solution that allows fingerprint authentication on a smartphone screen, not the home button, to global smartphone manufacturers this year.　 Smartphone makers have been pinning high hopes on the new technology that ensures both better security and more flexible device design. 　“Our on-screen fingerprint solution, dubbed Display Fingerprint Solution or DFS, is getting positive respon

Feb. 23, 2017

Google's AI software wins top score among machines in translation battle

Artificial intelligence language software by US Internet giant Google Inc., scored higher than its rival AI machines in a translation battle between humans and machines held in South Korea earlier this week, industry officials said Wednesday.On Tuesday, a group of four professional translators competed against three AI-powered programs provided by Google, South Korea's top Internet provider Naver Inc. and leading automated interpretation company Systran International.  (Yonhap)Without revealing

Feb. 22, 2017

KT to develop satellite-based GPS system with KARI

KT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute will co-develop Korea’s first Satellite Based Augmentation System GPS system, which is expected to bring technological advancements in the fields of transport, defense and science, the mobile carrier announced Wednesday. The company said a consortium led by KT has been selected as the preferred bidder for the project by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. A satellite to be developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. (Yonhap f

Feb. 22, 2017

[Newsmaker] Qualcomm wages long, hard legal battle against FTC

(The Investor)Qualcomm has waged a legal war against South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission, filing a lawsuit in Seoul late Tuesday, unyielding to the antitrust agency’s order of a massive fine and corrective measure. The legal fight between the US mobile chipmaker and Korean government body is expected to be unprecedentedly fierce, as both sides have vowed to win by mobilizing all possible measures, legal sources say. “The battle could be longer than usual, considering it is a matter of pride for

Feb. 22, 2017

Korea unveils roadmap to secure space technology

South Korea unveiled a long-term plan Wednesday to secure indigenous space technology with an aim to successfully emerge as a global power in the space sector by 2040, the science ministry said.Under the roadmap crafted by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the government will first analyze the current technology level and develop 200 core space technologies that are necessary for the development of its indigenous space program. (Yonhap)"The roadmap for developing space technology

Feb. 22, 2017

LG G6 praised by David Lewis Designers’ chief

Torsten Valeur, CEO of David Lewis Designers (LG Electronics)LG Electronics’ upcoming flagship smartphone G6 was praised by the head of Danish design studio David Lewis Designers, the Korean tech firm said Wednesday. Torsten Valeur, the CEO of David Lewis Designers, described his first impression of the G6 as a smartphone with an expansive screen and small, beautiful rounded corners, LG said citing its interview with the top designer.Valeur said, “(The G6 is) the ideal fusion of the beautiful sh

Feb. 22, 2017

Google to host second indie games festival in Korea

Google on Wednesday announced plans to host the second Google Play Indie Games Festival in South Korea, pledging efforts to support the growth of small-sized local game developers.Google Play, the official app store for Android-based smartphones, has opened up registration for Korea-based game developers looking to partake in its second indie games festival here. Registrations will end on April 2.Chang Hyun-se, head of Google Play’s business development at Google Korea (Googe Korea)The Google Pl

Feb. 22, 2017

Qualcomm files suit against FTC citing unfairness

Qualcomm on Tuesday filed an injunction against South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission, which imposed over 1 trillion won ($873 million) in fines and a corrective measure on the company, a court official confirmed.   (The Investor) The US mobile chipmaker filed the suit with the Seoul Central District Court late Tuesday, reportedly requesting the court put a halt on implementation of the corrective measure imposed by the antitrust agency last year, sources told The Korea Herald.The company applied

Feb. 21, 2017

Korean firms to reveal new solutions, tech at MWC

Korean tech firms are set to unveil new solutions at the upcoming Mobile World Congress that opens on Feb. 27 in Barcelona, Spain.The nation’s largest tech firm Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it will showcase some Creative Lab projects related to virtual-reality technologies during the event. Creative Lab is a project Samsung created to foster startups within the company, with the aim of spreading a creative organizational culture and exploring new ideas. The project deals with areas ranging f

Feb. 21, 2017