Taiwanese ramen bowl has iPhone dock

A Taiwanese company has dubbed its latest product, a ramen noodles bowl with an iPhone dock, the “anti-loneliness bowl.”MisoSoupDesign partners Minnie Jan and Daisuke Nagatomo, who attended Columbia University together, said they were inspired to create the “anti-loneliness bowl” when they spotted a man eating alone while clutching his phone, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.“He just couldn‘t let the phone go!” Jan said. “We thought it would be a good idea to help him restore his manne

Jan. 24, 2013

Online game ‘ArcheAge’ to see a watershed for success this weekend

Korean online game “ArcheAge” is expected to face a turning point for success this weekend.XLGAMES, developer of “ArcheAge,” released a game installation package called “Smart Package” through local convenience stores on Dec. 21. The package included game client installation DVDs, the game’s original soundtrack and a 10-day free play coupon.The package, which costs 3,900 won, was popular with customers who were waiting for one of the most anticipated blockbuster titles of 2013. On the day of its

Jan. 24, 2013

Global Internet hit 2012 speed bump: study

Global Internet connection speeds around the world slowed in late 2012, according to a survey released Wednesday that suggested a temporary stall in broadband gains.Akamai Technologies‘ third quarter “State of the Internet” report also showed China remained the biggest source of computer attacks, and that Brazil and China appear to have the biggest surge in Web use. The global average connection speed decreased by some seven percent between the second and third quarters of 2012 to 2.8 megabytes

Jan. 24, 2013

4 Korean think tanks listed in world rankings

Four Korean research institutions were recognized for being in the world’s top 150 think tanks, a report showed on Tuesday.The list released by an academic program at the University of Pennsylvania placed the government-affiliated Korea Institute for International Economic Policy at 55th. Three other Korean institutes made the 2012 Global GoTo Think Tank Index. The Korea Development Institute took 58th place, the East Asia Institute was 65th and the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Secu

Jan. 23, 2013

Dell may be near buyout on partial MS funding

Dell Inc. is getting closer to clinching a leveraged buyout with Silver Lake Management LLC, and Microsoft Corp. is planning to provide part of the funding, people with knowledge of the matter said.Silver Lake and Dell are negotiating a price in the range of $13.50 to $14.25 a share, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private. Microsoft is discussing contributing about $2 billion for the deal, which could be announced this week, the person said. Microsoft sta

Jan. 23, 2013

Genie aims high to become global standard music service

KT is planning to beef up cooperation with overseas mobile carriers to have its smartphone-only music service app Genie be positioned as a global standard for music service in the upcoming years, said a key KT executive on Wednesday. In an interview with The Korea Herald, Ahn Tae-hyo, executive vice president at the mobile data business unit at KT, stressed that Genie was a service that targeted the overseas markets from its brainstorming stage.“With the launch of the service in 45 different nat

Jan. 23, 2013

Music app Genie: KT’s core growth engine

Genie, KT’s music service for smartphones, has become one of the core future growth engines for the mobile carrier with it rolling out in 45 different nations last week.KT, the country’s largest fixed-line operator, said Wednesday that the music content app, which launched as “Genie KPOP,” aims to fulfill the needs of overseas K-pop fans.The smartphone app allows people to have access to music, music videos, images and video clips of K-pop artists from the country’s top entertainment companies,

Jan. 23, 2013

Couples who sleep well are less selfish: study

Couples who sleep well are likely to appreciate their spouse, a study suggested.The study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley asked 60 couples aged 18 to 56 to keep track of how many hours they slept each night and how much they appreciated their spouse. Research results showed couples who slept well had better problem-solving skills when asked to work together and showed gratitude to their spouses. Although health benefits of a good night’s sleep are well known, l

Jan. 23, 2013

Vitamin D may be a breast cancer therapy

Vitamin D may be involved in a possible new breast cancer therapy, U.S. and Spanish researchers say.Susana Gonzalo, an assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University, and her team identified one pathway activated in breast cancers with the poorest prognosis, such as those classified as triple-negative. These cancers often strike younger women and are harder to treat than any other type of breast cancer.  Women who are born with BRCA1 gene mutations are at inc

Jan. 23, 2013

Women look the oldest at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday: study

Women look their oldest at 3:30 p.m. every Wednesday, a new study claims.The research conducted by a tanning brand St. Tropez found that accumulated work stress coupled with plunging energy levels and effects of weekend drinking starts to take its toll by mid-week, according to British media.“It’s fascinating that 3:30 p.m. on a Wednesday is the time women look their oldest. Combine the highest stress levels of the week on a Wednesday with the natural mid-afternoon slump and it seems that’s why

Jan. 23, 2013

Life on Mars may have been underground

Minerals once more than three miles below the martian surface are the strongest evidence yet the Red Planet may have supported life, researchers say.New research suggests ingredients for life have been present in the martian subsurface for much of the planet's history, they said.Scientists have been studying McLaughlin Crater, one of many martian craters where impacting meteors have acted like natural probes, bringing up rocks from far beneath the surface.Spectrometer data on those rocks from NA

Jan. 23, 2013

Hugging brings health benefits: study

Hugging family members or loved ones can bring several positive effects such as lowered blood pressure and higher memory retention, according to the research from University of Vienna. The researchers claimed that when people hug or hold a person they like, the horomone oxytocin is released into the blood stream. Oxytocin plays a role in lowering blood pressure, reducing stress and anxiety, and even improving one’s memory. It is also found that hugging improves one’s ability to empathize and lea

Jan. 23, 2013

'ArcheAge' to enter the Russian game market

Korean massively multiplayer online role-playing game “ArcheAge” will be launched in Russia and 13 other nearby countries.XLGAMES, developer and publisher of “ArcheAge,” announced in a press release on Tuesday that the company has signed an agreement with Mail.Ru, one of the largest Internet service providers in Russia, to facilitate the game’s release in 14 European countries including Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.Mail.Ru is a leading Internet service and online game compan

Jan. 23, 2013

Overweight drivers at higher risk of death in accidents: study

Overweight people are more likely to die in a car accident than those who of normal weight, according to a study by researchers at University of California, Berkeley.The study was conducted on a total of 3,403 traffic accidents which involved 6,806 drivers, mostly men. The team divided the overweight people into three groups, “most obese with a BMI of 40, severely obese with a BMI index of 35 to 39.9 and obese with an index of 30 to 34.9.” Those with a BMI of 18 to 25 are considered healthy. The

Jan. 22, 2013

Google co-founder spotted on NY subway with ‘wearable computer’

Google co-founder Sergey Brin was spotted on the New York subway wearing glasses-cum-smart device “Google Glass.”U.S.-based IT magazine PC Magazine reported on Monday that Brin caught the eyes of citizens on the subway on Sunday.A New York resident named Noah Zerkin posted a photo of Brin on Twitter spotting the Google co-founder.Zerkin also posted a photo of himself wearing Brin’s Google Glass, adding that he couldn’t operate the device since mobile phone service was not available in New York’s

Jan. 22, 2013

Rumors of multiple iPhones from Apple

New rumors suggest Apple will bring out three new iPhone models this year, including one dubbed the “iPhone Math,” tech sites say.Brightwire.com, translating stories from the China Times and Taiwan-based Commercial Times, said the iPhone Math would feature a 4.8-inch screen and an 8-megapixel camera. Brightwire could offer no explanation for the odd moniker, especially since all previous and current iPhones have model names consisting of just numbers and letters, such as the iPhone 3G and the iP

Jan. 22, 2013