Samsung eyes VR ecosystem through smartphones

Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it plans to use its prowess in smartphones and close partnerships to build up an ecosystem in the virtual reality (VR) sector.The move comes as Samsung Group's top executives tested Gear VR devices during their weekly meeting in Seoul, reflecting the conglomerate's efforts to tap the VR segment as one of its next growth engines. Samsung Group's main headquarters in southern Seoul (Yonhap)"It is important to build an ecosystem for the VR market," said an officia

Feb. 17, 2016

Naver launches camera app reserved for foods

Korea's top portal operator Naver said Wednesday it released a new photo application through the LINE messenger platform, aiming at meeting users' growing need to post food photos on their social network accounts.The Foodie app provides 24 filters for food-related photos taken by users. Naver said it hopes the new service will follow the path of its selfie app, B612, which boasts more than 10 million downloads around the globe.Naver said the app provides various effects on different menus from c

Feb. 17, 2016

World’s first braille smartwatch to debut at MWC

The world’s first braille smartwatch, developed by a Korean start-up, will make its debut at the upcoming Mobile World Congress, the telecom industry’s largest gathering in Barcelona next week. According to the developer Dot, the device has 30 braille dots on the watch face so that blind people can send text messages without limitations. Thanks to a special module set that has drastically reduced the size of the device, the price has also become affordable at about $300.  While the current voice

Feb. 16, 2016

Telecom carriers to offer faster tri-band LTE service from March

The nation’s top three telecom carriers – SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus – plan to offer the world’s fastest tri-band LTE service from March when updated handsets are launched.The breakthrough comes as they have succeeded in applying the 256 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation or QAM software technology that bundles more bits into the spectrum being used.　According to LG Uplus Tuesday, the application, the first of its kind in the world, will enhance data transmission speeds and network capacity by abo

Feb. 16, 2016

Microsoft Korea names ex-Samsung SDS CEO as new chief

 Microsoft Korea said Monday it has named Afred Koh, former Samsung SDS CEO, as new country chief. Koh, 58, has more than 30 years of experience in the tech scene while working at global companies such as Samsung SDS and IBM.  Prior to taking the helm of Samsung SDS, the IT solutions unit of Samsung Group, he served at planning, marketing and public business divisions of the company. Microsoft Korea said he is also joining the “leaders’ group” at the headquarters as one of the key management mem

Feb. 16, 2016

Google’s AlphaGo to take on world baduk champion in Seoul

Google’s baduk-playing software AlphaGo will battle the world’s Go champion Lee Se-dol next month in Seoul. The five-match game, which will have a $1 million prize, will start on March 9 and the matches will be broadcast live on YouTube.Artificial intelligence AlphaGo successfully beat the three-time European baduk, or Go, champion Fan Hui 5-0 in a series of games in October. Lee, 32, is currently the highest-ranked Go player in the world. He turned pro in 1996 at the age of 13 and has a 71.8 pe

Feb. 16, 2016

KT to offer holograms, 360-degree VR at 2018 Winter Olympics

KT, the official telecom operator for the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, on Monday demonstrated hologram and 360-degree virtual reality video services that would be running on its fifth-generation network technology. Its 360-degree VR will offer real-time multichannel content, allowing viewers around the world to see games from any angle they want at home. The “Sync View” technology features a tiny camera on a wireless network module that will be attached to individual athletes and l

Feb. 16, 2016

SKT to expand global cooperation

Korea’s leading mobile carrier SK Telecom said Sunday it would expand global partnerships by showcasing new services and products at the upcoming Mobile World Congress trade show to be held in Barcelona next week.The Korean mobile carrier was in the spotlight at the annual mobile trade fair last year with its information technology products, such as its smart handheld projector, an educational robot and a smartphone case equipped with a film solar panel -- mostly developed in collaboration with

Feb. 14, 2016

LG Uplus starts high-speed Internet service in Seoul

Network operator LG Uplus said Sunday that it had started an Internet service that offers connection speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second over cable in Seoul.The 1 Gbps speed is 10 times faster than existing 100-megabits-per-second Internet services and enables users to download a 1.2-gigabyte movie in 10 seconds. The fast Internet service offers Wi-Fi services with speeds of up to 867Mbps as well. LG Uplus said Sunday it had started offering an Internet service that offers speeds of 1 gigabit p

Feb. 14, 2016

Samsung heir’s W300b cash draws attention

Speculation has been growing about Samsung Electronics vice chairman and Samsung Group heir apparent Lee Jae-yong’s recently acquired cash totaling 300 billion won ($250 million).  In December, he secured the money by selling a 2.05 percent stake in Samsung SDS to participate in Samsung Engineering’s planned capital increase. Despite his plan to buy shares when there was a lack of applications, investors purchased most of the shares, worth 1.2 trillion won, that were issued last week. Now indust

Feb. 14, 2016

[Photo News] LG will unveil new wireless headset at MWC

LG TO UNVEIL NEW WIRELESS HEADSET -- LG Electronics said Sunday that it would showcase an upgraded model of neckband Bluetooth headset Tone+, which offers top-notch sound quality through technology developed by audio system developer Harman Kardon, during the Mobile World Congress trade show to be held in Barcelona from Feb. 22 to 25.(LGE)

Feb. 14, 2016

[Photo News] Samsung wins award for its sineage

SAMSUNG SINEAGE RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE -- Tech giant Samsung Electronics has won the AV Display Innovation of the Year award for its outdoor display, dubbed the OHD Series SMART Signage, at the Integrated Systems Europe 2016, an annual trade fair for audio and video systems held in Amsterdam last week. (Samsung Electronics)

Feb. 14, 2016

Scientists glimpse Einstein's gravitational waves

WASHINGTON (AFP) - In a landmark discovery for physics and astronomy, scientists said Thursday they have glimpsed the first direct evidence of gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of space-time that Albert Einstein predicted a century ago.When two black holes collided some 1.3 billion years ago, the joining of those two great masses sent forth a wobble that hurtled through space and reached Earth on September 14, 2015, when it was picked up by sophisticated instruments, researchers announc

Feb. 12, 2016

SKT, Ericsson to build 5G network test bed

Korea’s leading mobile network operator SK Telecom said Thursday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Swedish network equipment firm Ericsson to build infrastructure to test fifth-generation networks.Participating in the memorandum signing ceremony in Stockholm on Tuesday, Park Jin-hyo, the head of SKT’s network technology research and development center, and Per Navinger of Ericsson pledged to work together on building the infrastructure and testing core 5G network technology c

Feb. 11, 2016

KT helps promising start-ups tap global market at MWC

Telecommunications firm KT said Thursday that it would participate in the Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest mobile trade show to be held in Barcelona later this month, along with promising Korean start-ups.The mobile carrier said a total of seven start-ups, including smart factory solutions developer Ulalalab and digital authentication solutions firm 12CM will showcase their products and services at the mobile carrier’s booth during the trade show. KT staffers hold products developed by

Feb. 11, 2016

[Photo News] Gifts for adoptees

GIFTS FOR ADOPTEES -- LG Uplus’ employees participate in a corporate social responsibility program in which they make dolls for babies who have been put up for adoption, at the company’s head office in Seoul on Thursday.　(LG Uplus)

Feb. 11, 2016

[Photo News] Smart cover for LG G5

SMART COVER FOR LG G5 -- LG Electronics unveils a touch-enabled case, dubbed the Quick Cover, for its upcoming flagship smartphone G5 in Seoul on Thursday. The semitransparent smartphone cover allows users to take calls and control alarm functions by touching the front of the cover.　(LGE)

Feb. 11, 2016

NCSoft sees profits plunge in 2015

Struggling to find growth momentum in the mobile gaming segment, NCSoft saw its net income drop 27 percent in 2015, compared to a year earlier, according to the company’s regulatory filing Thursday.The company posted 166.4 billion won ($139.3 million) in net income while its operating profit stood at 237.5 billion won, down 15 percent compared to a year prior. Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft (Yonhap)The company earned 838.3 billion won in revenue, slightly down from 838.7 billion won in 2014.The com

Feb. 11, 2016

Samsung to cut facility investment in chips in 2016

Samsung Electronics, the nation’s largest tech giant, is expected to reduce facility investment in its chip business in 2016 from a year ago, data showed Wednesday, just as rivals such as Intel do the opposite. 　According to the data compiled by industry tracker TrendForce, Samsung Electronics is estimated to spend $11.5 billion on capital expenditure, such as spending on facilities. The figure is a 15 percent drop from $13.5 billion in 2015.　Samsung is the market leader in the global dynamic ra

Feb. 10, 2016

Squat, lunge, push-ups. 13 apps for fitness at home

MIAMI (AP) -- Don't want to fight traffic, travelling for work, can’t afford a $30 barre class? Those excuses for missing your workout no longer fly thanks to a host of new fitness apps and online subscriptions.There's a website for your every cardio craving from Pilates to bootcamp, some taught by celeb trainers that you likely could never book in person. Bonus: Many of the sites are free or cost far less than a monthly gym fee.Want it gym-style:Crunch Live includes many of the workouts that ea

Feb. 10, 2016