The Korea Herald

Alibaba to absorb mobile browser firm before listing

Chinas Alibaba said Wednesday it will absorb mobile browser developer UCWeb, calling it the “biggest” merger in the country’s Internet industry, as the e-commerce giant continues a deal binge before listing.Alibaba has stepped up acquisitions to expand beyond its traditional online shopping business ahead of a planned US listing that could raise around $15 billion, putting it on par with Facebook’s $16 billion IPO in 2012.This marks the third deal by Alibaba in a week. On Tuesday, the company un

June 11, 2014

Study shows salting roads cuts short butterflies’ lives

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Covering icy roads with salt can save the lives of human drivers, but U.S. researchers said the practice may be cutting butterfly lives short.Sodium chloride, the cheapest salt, is the most commonly used to melt ice and snow on slippery winter roads. Previous studies have already shown that salting roads can have an impact on plant and animal life in nearby lakes and rivers. But this latest study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, said pouring th

June 11, 2014

Samsung Group chief moving, but still unconscious

Samsung Group said Tuesday that chairman Lee Kun-hee’s health is improving, but he remains unconscious.He was able to move his hands and feet a little, and open his eyes for seven to eight hours, a group spokeswoman said, citing Samsung Medical Center’s official announcement regarding the chairman’s progress.“The chairman is recovering, but it is difficult to say that he has gained consciousness,” she said.Lee Kun-heeThe 72-year-old Samsung boss has been in the hospital for a month since he had

June 10, 2014

Samsung Group chief moving, but still unconscious

LG G3’s battery life overwhelms rivals: researcher

LG Electronics’ latest smartphone, the G3, has the best battery performance in the market, a market researcher said Tuesday.Online researcher Phone Arena said the battery life of LG’s 5.5-inch smartphone came to 8 hours and 50 minutes when the device was running only basic functions, including Web surfing.The duration was longer than the 8 hours and 20 minutes of its biggest rival, Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S5. Sony’s Xperia Z2 and HTC’s One M8 last 8 hours, 10 minutes, and 7 hours, 12 minutes

June 10, 2014

Healthy seniors tested in bid to block Alzheimer’s

WASHINGTON (AP) ― In one of the most ambitious attempts yet to thwart Alzheimer’s disease, a major study got underway Monday to see if an experimental drug can protect healthy seniors whose brains harbor silent signs that they’re at risk.Scientists plan to eventually scan the brains of thousands of older volunteers in the U.S., Canada and Australia to find those with a sticky build-up believed to play a key role in development of Alzheimer’s ― the first time so many people without memory problem

June 10, 2014

Healthy seniors tested in bid to block Alzheimer’s

Scientists explore using trees to clean pollution

FREEPORT, Texas (AP) ― Before Houston and its suburbs were built, a dense forest naturally purified the coastal air along a stretch of the Texas Gulf Coast that grew thick with pecan, ash, live oak and hackberry trees.It was the kind of pristine woodland that was mostly wiped out by settlers in their rush to clear land and build communities. Now one of the nation’s largest chemical companies and one of its oldest conservation groups have forged an unlikely partnership that seeks to recreate some

June 10, 2014

Samsung to seek Lee’s personal exemption in India court

Samsung Group said Monday that it would seek another legal option to exempt chairman Lee Kun-hee from appearing in person before India’s court to face criminal charges filed by an Indian company. The Korean conglomerate reiterated that Lee has “no connection to this case whatsoever.”“Samsung is expected to tell the court once again that the chairman will not be able to attend the trial,” said a Samsung official.“The plaintiffs are insisting the chairman appear in court without having any solid e

June 9, 2014

KT to showcase future mobile environment at Shanghai expo

KT Corp., Korea’s second-largest mobile carrier, will showcase its gigabit-class technologies at the Mobile Asia Expo, Asia’s largest telecommunications trade show, to be held in Shanghai from Wednesday to Friday. This marks the second consecutive time that the mobile carrier has been invited to participate in the MAE. On Wednesday, KT’s chief executive Hwang Chang-gyu, a former chief of Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor unit who took the helm of the mobile carrier in January, is scheduled to d

June 9, 2014

KT to showcase future mobile environment at Shanghai expo

Collision likely formed the moon

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― German scientists said that moon samples collected during the 1960s and 1970s have shown new evidence that the moon formed when a young Earth collided with another celestial body.The smashup between an early form of Earth and a planetary body named Theia some 4.5 billion years ago is put forth by what scientists call the “Giant Impact Hypothesis” of moon formation.While most experts support the notion, they say the only way to confirm such an impact is to study ratios between

June 9, 2014

Paraplegic in Iron Man bodysuit to open WC

SAO PAULO (AFP) ― The first kick at the World Cup opening ceremony will be made by a paraplegic wearing an Iron Man-like robotic bodysuit controlled by signals from the brain.Brazilian doctor Miguel Nicolelis led a team of 156 scientists from around the world to create the futuristic exoskeleton, which was designed to enable paralysis victims to walk.At the World Cup opening ceremony Thursday in Sao Paulo, a paraplegic whose identity has been kept secret will leave behind his or her wheelchair t

June 9, 2014

Company creates blanket for tornado protection

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ― An Oklahoma company has created a protective blanket that developers say could give children a better chance of surviving debris from a tornado ― or bullets from a 9 mm handgun.The Bodyguard Blanket, made by ProTecht, is a bulletproof pad designed to protect students during disasters at school. The rectangle features backpack-like straps that allow users to put it on, and then duck and cover.Steve Walker developed the pad. Walker started on the idea after a massive tornado s

June 9, 2014

Color-changing molecule can monitor drug dosages

PARIS (AFP) ― Scientists have created a molecule that glows red or blue depending on drug levels in blood ― the basis for a prospective home test to prevent patients accidentally overdosing, they reported Sunday.After contact with a drop of blood, the molecule’s color is observed with the aid of an ordinary digital camera, its Swiss and American developers wrote in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.“The process does not require any laboratory instruments and is so simple that the patients can

June 9, 2014

Emotional robot set for sale in Japan next year

TOKYO (AP) ― A cooing, gesturing humanoid on wheels that can decipher emotions has been unveiled in Japan by billionaire Masayoshi Son who says robots should be tender and make people smile.Son’s mobile phone company Softbank said that the robot it has dubbed “Pepper” will go on sale in Japan in February for 198,000 yen ($1,900). Overseas sales plans are under consideration but undecided.The machine, which has no legs, but has gently gesticulating hands appeared on a stage in a Tokyo suburb, coo

June 8, 2014

Emotional robot set for sale in Japan next year

NASA warned plan to send humans to Mars may fail

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― The U.S. space agency NASA has been warned that its mission to send humans to Mars will fail unless its revamps its methods and draws up a clear, well-planned strategy to conquer the red planet.The National Research Council said in a congressionally mandated report that Washington should use “stepping stones” to achieve its goal of a manned flight to Mars.This could involve exploring an asteroid, building a moon outpost or building more international cooperation with countries

June 8, 2014

NASA warned plan to send humans to Mars may fail

Samsung phones approved for use at Pentagon

The U.S. Department of Defense has approved the use of five types of Samsung Android phones by its employees at their workplaces, Samsung Electronics Co. said Sunday.The devices include the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Active, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and Galaxy Note 10, all equipped with security solution KNOX. They are now on the U.S. department's Defense Information System Agency's approved product list, the South Korean company said.The phones run on Android 4.4 (KitKat) along with Samsun

June 8, 2014

Samsung speeds up succession

Samsung Electronics acquired shares in two of Samsung Group’s affiliates, Samsung SDI and Cheil Industries, on Thursday, in a bid to restructure the group’s businesses ahead of a much anticipated power transition from the ailing chairman Lee Kun-hee to his only son Jay-yong.The tech giant purchased 2.17 million shares in secondary battery maker Samsung SDI, and 2.07 million shares in Cheil Industries, the electronics materials affiliate of Samsung Group. Samsung Electronics also bought 2.44 mill

June 5, 2014

SK hynix acquires Softeq’s firmware

SK hynix, South Korea’s second-biggest memory chip maker, said Thursday that it has acquired the firmware unit of Softeq Development based in Minsk, Belarus, in Eastern Europe.The deal, which also includes not only buying the firmware technology but also bringing in its key assets such as talented engineers, was in line with its efforts to further boost the Korean company’s NAND flash memory solutions.“The company will be able to further bolster its global research and development, and competiti

June 5, 2014

Trendy diets may lead to increased risks

Lee Jae-hwanFor those hoping to lose weight, the general recommended caloric intake to lose weight ranges between 1200 to 1500 calories depending on the individual’s basal metabolic rate, with the aim of reducing 300 calories per day (a low-calorie diet), along with regular cardio exercises (at least one hour of fast-paced walking, cycling or swimming for at least five days a week) to expend 200-300 calories each day. This results in a loss of 300 calories from dieting, together with a loss of 3

June 5, 2014

Trendy diets may lead to increased risks

[Herald Interview] Doctor talks filmmaking, industrial medicine

It’s been almost three years since Dr. Song Yoon-hee released her first documentary, “White Jungle.”Dubbed the Korean version of “Sicko,” the low-budget film was an expos on Korea’s health care system, including privatized hospitals that solely focus on profit-making.Since her film debut, Song has done a lot as a filmmaker as well as a physician. She wrote a screenplay for veteran auteur Im Kwon-taek’s latest project, “Hwajang,” while working as an industrial medicine specialist. When “White Jun

June 5, 2014

[Herald Interview] Doctor talks filmmaking, industrial medicine

Technology brings changes to voting

Korea posted a record high early voter turnout in part due to technologies such as electronic voting, adopted at ballot stations nationwide.Various political agenda ― from the Sewol ferry sinking and education, to public welfare and security ― have driven mostly those in their 20s and 30s to vote in advance.But the record turnout of 11.5 percent during the two-day period last week was partly attributable to a connected system allowing more than 3,500 polling stations to rapidly cross-check voter

June 4, 2014