Optimus L series’ sales top 15 million

LG Electronics Inc. said Friday it has sold more than 15 million units globally of its third-generation “Optimus L” phones.LG has sold more than 15 million units of the L3, L5, L7 and L9 models since first releasing the L3 model in March last year, the company said in a press release.The L series, noted for its rectangular design and third-generation connectivity, has been launched in 50 countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas.LG plans to promote a follow-up series of the line-up in countries

Feb. 15, 2013

U.S. scientists searching for alien life -- on Earth

Some U.S. scientists are helping search for evidence of alien life not by looking into outer space, but by studying some rocks right here on Earth.Some of the rocks are up to 3.5 billion years old. The scientists are looking for crucial information to understand how life might have arisen elsewhere in the universe and guide the search for life on Mars one day.“There's a story always hidden in rocks,” said geoscientist Clark Johnson, the lead investigator for the Wisconsin Astrobiology Research C

Feb. 15, 2013

Richest cosmic star field caught in image

 A telescope in Chile has captured an image of a portion of the Milky Way so dense with stars almost no dark sky is seen across the picture, astronomers say.A 7-foot telescope at the European Southern Observatory‘s La Silla location took a photo of the Large Sagittarius Star Cloud in the constellation of Sagittarius.The cloud is one of the richest star fields in the entire sky, a release from ESO headquarters in Garching, Germany, said Wednesday.A small, isolated dark area, described as “a drop

Feb. 15, 2013

iPhone bug opens phone without passcode

A bug in the iPhone's iOS 6.1 operating system allows anyone to unlock one and access data on the device without knowing the passcode, tech watchers say.The issue, uncovered by a YouTube user who posted a video demonstrating how it can be done, allows unlocking the phone and accessing call logs, contacts, voice mails, and even allows phone calls to be made, ZDNet reported Thursday.The phones lock can be circumvented by quickly making and cancelling an emergency call while briefly holding down th

Feb. 15, 2013

New virus may have spread between people

British officials say a mysterious virus related to SARS may have spread between humans, as they confirmed the 11th case worldwide of the new coronavirus in a patient who they say probably caught it from a family member.The new virus was first identified last year in the Middle East and the 10 people who have previously been infected had all traveled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan.According to Britain’s Health Protection Agency, the latest patient is a U.K. resident with no recent tr

Feb. 14, 2013

Cold weather and angina

Various diseases are aggravated by the cold weather. However, those with cardiovascular diseases, such as angina, hypertension or stroke, must take particular care.They say that the cold weather leads to the worsening of cardiovascular diseases. This is because the cold weather leads to blood vessel constriction, leading to increased blood pressure, which puts a greater workload on the heart. Thus, people may experience worsening angina symptoms, or have increased blood pressure in colder season

Feb. 14, 2013

Unspeakable pain ― premenstrual syndrome

Kim Min-sun, a 28-year-old office worker, takes a day off every month for one physical reason that she wouldn’t speak aloud ― premenstrual syndrome. “I feel ashamed of asking for physical leave. But I think it is better to take a day off rather than suffering from cramps and back pain all day long at the office,” she said.Like Kim, the number of young women claiming their right to deal with premenstrual syndrome is on rise. The number of patients with PMS-related problems surged nearly 50 percen

Feb. 14, 2013

Stress from violence can be passed to offspring: study

Stress experienced by pregnant women in violent situations can be passed down generations and negatively affect their grandchildren’s health, a recent study suggested. According to a report presented at Asia-Pacific Economic and Business History Conference on Thursday, babies born from mothers who spent their prenatal life in the May 18 democratic movement in 1980 were lighter and more likely to be born prematurely than others.The report stated babies’ inherited stress had no link to their paren

Feb. 14, 2013

Guppies use ugly friends to seem more attractive

When it comes to mating, guppies treasure their ugly friends - because they look so good by comparison.An article published Wednesday by Britain‘s Royal Society says that male guppies prefer to associate with their drab-colored counterparts when females are around."Males actively choose the social context that maximizes their relative attractiveness," the article said. Or, as lead author Clelia Gasparini put it, "If you are surrounded by ugly friends, you look better."Gasparini and her colleague

Feb. 14, 2013

Women with high calcium levels twice as likely to die from heart disease: study

Women with high levels of calcium are at twice the risk of dying from heart disease than those with normal levels, a recent study has found.A research team at Uppsala University studied the correlation between calcium levels and women’s causes of death by analyzing the eating habits of 61,443 female participants aged 50 and older. The data included each participant’s diet and supplement intakes for an average of the past 19 years.　Results showed that 48 percent of women with over 1,400 mg of dai

Feb. 14, 2013

Social commerce sites to attract consumers with unique ideas

As social commerce expands rapidly as a mainstream online shopping channel in South Korea, a number of social commerce service providers are adopting fresh marketing strategies to lure more customers.Ticketmonster, one of the nation’s major social commerce companies, provides an instant coupon service which allows customers to purchase and use their coupons on the spot. The service aims to satisfy the increased needs of consumers who want to use their discount coupons instantly instead of waitin

Feb. 14, 2013

Apple seen showing signs of softening on war with Samsung

The complicated high-profile patent war between Samsung and Apple, the world’s leading electronics makers, may have turned a corner, at least for the Korean company.The most recent news on the issue is that Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook, who succeeded the iconic Steve Jobs, had been opposed to suing Samsung in the first place, according to reports citing people with knowledge of the matter.The main reason was because of the key role that Samsung plays as a major supplier of components for the

Feb. 13, 2013

Telecoms, handset makers brace for top global mobile trade show

The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is coming in less than 10 days with global telecoms and handset makers prepping to present their innovative technologies and gadgets.Themed the “New mobile horizon,” local big names like Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, as well as telecoms SK Telecom and KT, will take part in the world’s biggest mobile trade show from Feb. 25-28.According to market research firm Strategy Analytics, the official partner for the show, three major trends to watch are th

Feb. 13, 2013

Men try to look tough to impress women: study

Males’ tendency to take risks in order to attract females is a result of evolution, a recent study suggested.According to the study from the Journal of Risk Research, risk taking in prehistoric times was imperative in finding sexual partners, food, or shelter. As a result, men have evolved to be more willing to face danger.The study claims that even in modern times -- after the immediate need to take physical risks has long gone -- the instinct to act like a daredevil has survived, prompting men

Feb. 13, 2013