[Monitor] Samsung narrows revenue gap with Intel

Samsung Electronics posted a solid gain in the sales of semiconductors for the second quarter of the year, narrowing the revenue gap with rival Intel Corp., data compiled by IC Insights showed Tuesday. Samsung’s semiconductor sales rose 11 percent on-quarter to reach $10.3 billion in the second quarter, while Intel’s sales fell 1 percent to $12.9 billion in the same quarter.

Aug. 23, 2016

[Photo News] Eyes on Iris security

Kim Hyung-suk, vice president of Samsung Electronics’ multimedia R&D group, presents the development process and application areas of Galaxy Note 7’s iris recognition at the company’s headquarters in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

Aug. 23, 2016

[News Analysis] Naver, Kakao accused of copying start-ups’ software

Local startups are speaking out against South Korean IT giants that have allegedly plagiarized their services, saying that such unfair practices further marginalize smaller companies in the country’s highly competitive tech sector. 　Naver, the operator of Korea’s largest portal website, and Kakao, which runs the country’s leading mobile messenger KakaoTalk and portal website Daum, have been accused of copying software originally developed by local tech ventures.　Last week, the chief of Korean sp

Aug. 22, 2016

Vacuum industry Olympics opens in Korea

A gathering of professionals from academic and industrial research communities in the fields of materials, coatings and surfaces worldwide opened for an eight-day run in the coastal city of Busan on Monday.The opening ceremony for the 20th International Vacuum Congress(IVC-20) brought together about 1,000 people, including Busan Mayor Suh Byung-soo; Mariano Anderle, chief of the International Union for Vacuum Science Technique and Application; and Kang Hee-jae, head of the IVC-20 organizing comm

Aug. 22, 2016

Samsung likely to roll out budget smartphone in India

Samsung Electronics is predicted to launch its new Tizen-powered smartphone Z2 in India this week, despite continued lackluster sales of the budget mobile products, according to analysts said on Monday. The South Korean electronics giant sent out invitations to the Indian press for a product launch event slated for Tuesday.Source: GSM ArenaThe invitations did not specify the product to be unveiled, but industry insiders say that the event will be about Samsung releasing its new Tizen-based phone

Aug. 22, 2016

Samsung to show off new smart washing machine at fair in Berlin

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday it will showcase a new smart washing machine at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin early next month. The new "AddWash" washing machine allows users to put extra items of laundry into the machine after a wash cycle is started, through a little window on the upper part of the main door.  (Yonhap)In addition, the new machine enables users to deodorize their clothes with heated air, using a technology called "Air Wash." Using anoth

Aug. 22, 2016

Korean chip companies to send market exploitation teams to India

South Korean semiconductor companies will send market exploitation teams to India to expand their businesses in the world's second-most populous market, the trade ministry here said Monday.The first squad led by SK hynix Inc., the world's second-largest chipmaker, will hold a road show in New Delhi on Monday to show their technologies of mobile chips and goods to Indian buyers, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.India's leading handset manufacturers like Intex Technologies a

Aug. 22, 2016

Galaxy Note 7 sales boost Korean telecom businesses

The soaring sales of Samsung Electronics’ newly-released Galaxy Note 7 smartphone are boosting South Korea’s telecom businesses as customers are subscribing to new network operators when purchasing the new smartphone.According to the nation’s three major telecom operators SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus, a total of 57,904 subscription swaps — switching from one telecom operator to another — took place over the weekend since Galaxy Note 7’s local release last Friday.  Korean consumers line up to atte

Aug. 21, 2016

Korean IT firms to offer options to refuse mobile gifts

South Korea’s leading internet technology companies are planning to grant local smartphone users an option to refuse mobile gift certificates sent by a third party within this year.Korean IT firms which operate mobile gift-giving and exchange platforms such as Kakao, SK Planet and KT Mhows said Sunday they will soon add such features to their services.The companies say that the decisions were made to enhance user convenience. But industry watchers suggest that a new antigraft law that takes effe

Aug. 21, 2016

China certifies Korean-certified TV for 1st time

A Chinese regulator had issued a compulsory certification for South Korean-certified televisions to be sold in China for the first time, officials said Sunday. The move means that the Chinese regulator, the China Quality Certification Center, recognizes South Korean electronics and appliance goods, which are certified by South Korean regulators, without passing the rules of the Chinese compulsory certification system.  (KATS)The South Korean TV products received an international certification, k

Aug. 21, 2016

Samsung comes 2nd in U.S. list of most reputable tech firms

Samsung Electronics Co. came second in a recent U.S. survey of the most reputable technology companies, while Amazon.com Inc. held on to the top spot, according to foreign media reports and industry sources on Sunday. The survey by Reputation Institute, a U.S. consulting and advisory group, gave good grades to Samsung's new Galaxy S smartphones and its corporate social responsibility projects. Intel Corp. came third, followed by VMWare Inc. and Toshiba Corp. Also on the top 10 list were Oracle C

Aug. 21, 2016

Galaxy Note 7 most costly in Europe, cheapest in Korea

Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 7, which was launched Friday globally, is the most expensive in Europe and cheapest in South Korea, according to the tech firms’ online stores Friday. The new phablet costs around 1.06 million won ($948) in Germany, 1.07 million won in France and Spain and 1.09 million won in the UK, according to Samsung’s online stores.  Korean consumers queue up to attend the Galaxy Note 7’s launch event in Seoul, Friday. (Yonhap)The prices set for European consumers are around

Aug. 19, 2016

[Photo News] Electronic pride display

A model shows the electronic shelf label developed by electronics components firm LG Innotek, which announced Thursday that it would soon provide the electronic price display system to GS supermarkets nationwide. (LG Innotek)

Aug. 18, 2016

Korea to decide on Google's request for map data next week

South Korea will decide next week whether to allow Google to export government-supplied map data outside the country, officials said Thursday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which supervises mapping policy, will hold a meeting with officials from foreign, defense and other-related ministries next Wednesday and make a decision after the meeting, according to them.On June 1, Google requested the Korean government to export the map data, and the government must make a decision

Aug. 18, 2016

[INTERVIEW] 500 Startups hunts for next unicorn in global market

[THE INVESTOR] For many global startups, a four-month accelerator program of 500 Startups, a US venture capital seed fund, is an eye-opener.The startup accelerator program, held four times a year at two of 500’s offices in Mountain View and San Francisco, is a mixture of collaboration as well as fierce competition among startups from around the world. Mentors, called coaches there, also provide full support in a range of sectors, such as marketing and sales, for the participants.“The two acceler

Aug. 18, 2016