[Review] Google Photos, a powerful yet disconcerting app

Around 300 photos saved in my smartphones have always been treated like old stuff stuck in a drawer, as I never enjoy uploading pictures on social media.After using Google’s new photo storage app “Google Photos,” which is free, unlimited in storage capacity and available on both Android and Apple devices, I was impressed to see how the app could make my pile of old photos meaningful and entertaining. What makes Google Photos appealing was its smart search engine, allowing me to search for conten

June 4, 2015

Government mobilizes special task force on MERS

President Park Geun-hye announced Wednesday the creation of a special task force consisting of civil medical experts to act as a control tower, while expanding the pan-governmental countermeasures headquarters to cope with the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome.The disease has killed two people since the first case was confirmed on May 20 and led to the isolation of 1,364 people -- a whopping increase from 791 on Tuesday. Among them, 1,261 are staying at home, while 103 are placed at g

June 3, 2015

Coupang wins $1b funding from SoftBank

Coupang, South Korea’s leading e-commerce company, said Wednesday it has secured new funding worth $1 billion from Japanese telecom giant SoftBank in a deal that would fuel its global expansion. The company said that the investment is expected to close at the beginning of July and will bring the total amount of funding it has raised over the past year to nearly $1.4 billion. In 2014, Coupang raised $300 million in an investment led by U.S. asset manager BlackRock. It also won a $100 million inve

June 3, 2015

Government mobilizes special task force on MERS

President Park Geun-hye announced Wednesday the creation of a special task force consisting of civil medical experts to act as a control tower, while expanding the pan-governmental countermeasures headquarters to cope with the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome.The disease has killed two people since the first case was confirmed on May 20 and led to the isolation of 1,364 people -- a whopping increase from 791 on Tuesday. Among them, 1,261 are staying at home, while 103 are placed at g

June 3, 2015

Korean telecom firms take on Google, Apple in app store market

South Korea’s three largest mobile carriers SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus opened their joint mobile application market One Store on Wednesday in a bid to grow the local app market and join forces against Apple and Google, two dominant players in the global app market. With its launch, subscribers of the three mobile network operators can use all mobile applications and digital content, which were previously available only on each individual app store run by them, without a glitch. South Korea’s th

June 3, 2015

Microsoft in license dispute with state-run KEPCO

A legal battle between Software giant Microsoft and Korea Electric Power Corp. is looming large over the alleged violation of license agreements by the Korean public corporation.The nation’s largest power firm KEPCO has been revamping power supply systems with MS’ solutions since 1998.MS reportedly claimed that KEPCO illegally deployed a total of 80,000 MS SQL servers, which are a database management software, and related products for the state-run company’s power supply systems since it bought

June 3, 2015

Samsung, LG unfazed by Tesla’s battery push

Tesla Motors, a maker of luxury electric sedans, is generating a lot of buzz with its new battery system, the Powerwall, in a young energy storage market dominated by Korea’s top battery makers ― Samsung SDI and LG Chem. The Powerwall is a large battery that helps homeowners manage their energy use. It can be paired with solar panels or work alone. Installed batteries are then connected to the Internet and can be managed by Tesla.Customers are reacting explosively to the sleek device, which uses

June 3, 2015

[Photo News] Light but powerful

South Korean tech giant LG Electronics released the 270-gram portable projector Mini Beam in the Korean market Wednesday. The handheld projector with 854-by-480-pixel resolution and 100 ANSI lumens is priced at 399,000 won ($360). (LGE)

June 3, 2015

2 killed by MERS, 30 cases confirmed

Seoul on Wednesday confirmed two deaths from Middle East respiratory syndrome, while five more have been added to the list of infected patients in the country. As of Wednesday morning, the number of confirmed cases in Korea marked 30, surpassing Jordan as the country with the third most MERS cases in the world. Following the news, an elementary school near the hospital where one of the deceased patients had stayed announced that it is closing temporarily from Tuesday to Friday. According to the

June 2, 2015

[Newsmaker] Samsung heir steps into limelight

Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jay-yong on Monday attended the award ceremony for the Ho-Am Prize, Samsung Group’s most important annual award, on behalf of the owner family for the first time.Keen attention was paid to the Samsung heir’s appearance because representing the family at the event appeared to be one of the final steps to taking to the throne at South Korea’s largest conglomerate.Established by his father, chairman Lee Kun-hee in honor of late Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull i

June 1, 2015

SK makes strides in biomedicine

SK Holdings, the holding company of SK Group, announced plans Monday to commence enrollment of a phase 3 clinical trial of its new medication for sleep disorders developed by its affiliate SK Biopharmaceuticals. The third step of the clinical trial, which will be led by Jazz Pharmaceuticals, U.S. drugmaker and SK Biopharmaceuticals’ partner, will take place in the U.S. and Europe with patients suffering from narcolepsy and sleep apnea, the Korean company said.The Korean drugmaker exported the gl

June 1, 2015

LG premium built-in kitchen appliances

LG PREMIUM BUILT-IN KITCKEN APPLIANCES -- South Korean tech giant LG Electronics unveiled its premium built-in kitchen appliance lineup LG Studio at the Dwell On Design, the largest interior design fair in the U.S. last Friday. Designer Nate Berkus, who has teamed up with LG to develop the kitchen appliances, speaks at the interior trade show. LG Electronics

May 31, 2015

Cooperation for 5G

COOPERATION FOR 5G — South Korea’s largest telecommunications firm KT said Sunday it has agreed with Europe-based telecom equipment manufacturers including Nokia and Ericsson to work together to develop technologies for the 5G next-generation network and to run joint projects for the matter. KT chief executive Hwang Chang-gyu talks with top executives from Ericsson in Stockholm on Friday. KT

May 31, 2015

LG to open Asia’s largest data center

ANYANG, Gyeonggi Province ― Nestling in an IT business cluster in Pyeongchon-dong, Anyang, half an hour south of Seoul, LG Uplus’ new commercial data center ― dubbed the Mega Center ― displays its overwhelming structures.The construction of what will become Asia’s largest data center is around 90 percent complete and slated to open in late August.Housing 24 computer rooms ― on a total of 27,770 square meters ― the data center consisting of an office facility and two data center buildings is inst

May 31, 2015