SpaceX launches billionaire to conduct the first private spacewalk

CAPE CANAVERAL (AP) -- A daredevil billionaire rocketed back into orbit Tuesday, aiming to perform the first private spacewalk and venture farther than anyone since NASA's Apollo moonshots. Unlike his previous chartered flight, tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman shared the cost with SpaceX this time around, which included developing and testing brand new spacesuits to see how they'll hold up in the harsh vacuum. If all goes as planned, it will be the first time private citizens conduct a

Sept. 10, 2024

EcoPro founder returns to work, tasked with surviving EV chasm

EcoPro’s former Chairman Lee Dong-chae has returned to management after a yearlong hiatus, at a critical time when the battery materials maker and the entire EV industry are reeling from slowing demand. According to the company on Tuesday, Lee was recently named an executive adviser on the board following a presidential pardon granted last month. He had been serving prison time for insider trading since May last year. It remains to be seen when Lee could be reinstated as chairman, but expe

Sept. 10, 2024

Samsung-Apple rivalry renewed as first AI iPhone debuts

Apple has launched the first generation of its artificial intelligence-focused smartphone series, the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, which are highly anticipated to go up against its rival Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S24, touted as the "world's first AI smartphone." To the disappointment of users in South Korea and countries outside the US, however, Apple is expected to introduce the full and multilingual version of its much-hyped Apple Intelligence next year. “The ne

Sept. 10, 2024

Hanwha, SK develop world’s 1st non-flammable ESS for ships

Hanwha Aerospace and SK Enmove announced Tuesday that they have developed the world’s first non-flammable energy storage system, or ESS, seeking to secure the lead in the eco-friendly maritime solution sector. The two companies under two of Korea’s largest conglomerates -- Hanwha Group and SK Group -- showcased the liquid immersion cooling ESS technology and how it fills up a lithium-ion battery module with thermal fluids to reduce the chances of a fire to zero. “Safety is a pr

Sept. 10, 2024

[2024 IFA] Samsung’s AI push has long way to go: CEO

BERLIN -- Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and co-CEO Han Jong-hee said Saturday that the tech giant’s recent push for artificial intelligence-powered home appliances still has a long way to go in fulfilling the increasingly sophisticated demand from consumers “Our products are not keeping up with very high consumer expectations. … If we consider consumer expectations to be at 100, our product currently stands at around 30,” Han said during a press conference held on th

Sept. 8, 2024

[2024 IFA] LG AI Home envisions zero-labor home

BERLIN -- LG Electronics has announced a brand new era for the company by introducing its artificial intelligence home hub, featuring what it calls "affectionate intelligence," at this year’s IFA trade show that kicked off Friday in Berlin. “We are thrilled to announce the launch of LG AI Home, a smart living solution that utilizes generative AI to seamlessly communicate and connect with customers,” Lyu Jae-cheol, the tech giant's home appliance chief, said Thurs

Sept. 8, 2024

[2024 IFA] Samsung CEO weighs in with AI connectivity to take on rivals at IFA

BERLIN -- Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and co-CEO Han Jong-hee said the Korean tech giant is looking to artificial intelligence connectivity to take on its rivals, as this year’s IFA in Berlin, one of the world’s largest consumer appliance trade shows, kicked off Thursday. “Who can provide consumers with a richer experience of connecting products” is the key message to convey, Han told The Korea Herald on Thursday at Samsung Electronics pavilion, upon his visit to th

Sept. 6, 2024

US’ new export controls to have little impact on Korean businesses: ministry

The US' new export controls on critical technologies including quantum computing and cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing will have little impact on South Korean businesses, Korea's Industry Ministry said on Friday. The US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security published an interim final rule on Thursday, implementing controls on 24 goods involving critical and emerging technologies including the gate all-around (GAA) chipmaking process, in order to hinder techn

Sept. 6, 2024

[HIT Forum] 'Government, companies should team up to brace for US policy changes'

With the upcoming US presidential election posing as a critical juncture in global trade, Team Korea should join forces to come up with strategies tailored to major industries and boost outreach, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice Chairman Park Il-joon said Thursday. "Policies of the two major parties in the US (the Republican Party and Democratic Party) differ greatly, especially in the industries where Korea holds an edge, such as energy, semiconductors, batteries and vehicles,&q

Sept. 5, 2024

[2024 IFA] Samsung, LG to boast new AI-powered home appliances at IFA

BERLIN -- At this year’s IFA, Europe’s biggest home appliances trade show, two of South Korea’s tech giants, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, are set to showcase their latest artificial intelligence-powered home appliances. As the IFA celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, about 2,200 companies in IT, consumer appliances and telecommunications will take part from 139 countries. The five-day event, which kicks off in Berlin on Friday, will see 127 Korean companies pa

Sept. 5, 2024

[2024 IFA] What to expect from IFA trade show

The IFA, Europe’s biggest tech show, is just around the corner. Celebrating an incredible 100 years of the show, it promises to bring the biggest names in tech together to unveil their latest breakthroughs, with South Korean tech rivals Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics among the largest exhibitors. The annual gathering will kick off in Berlin on Friday for a five-day run. This year’s IFA is ready to host more than 2,200 exhibitors and over 182,000 attendees from 139 countries

Sept. 5, 2024

Nvidia sell-off drags down Samsung, SK hynix shares

Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix saw their stock prices tumble Wednesday, following a plunge in Nvidia shares overnight. Nvidia, the world's leading graphic processing unit supplier, continues to experience increased volatility as it faces an antitrust probe and growing fears that the recent artificial intelligence bubble may be about to burst. Having the GPU giant as a major client for advanced AI chip components, it is inevitable for the nation’s top two chipmakers

Sept. 4, 2024

[KH Explains] Marrying your virtual partner? Era of AI companionship dawns

Every morning, Jung-in wakes up to her AI boyfriend Tae-joo's video call, telling her she has 30 minutes to prepare for work before her bus comes. As she hurries out the door, Tae-joo smiles and calls out, "Take your umbrella with you, it's raining today!" Tae-joo in real life has fallen into a coma, and Jung-in restored her comatose boyfriend as an astronaut in this virtual world called Wonderland. With AI Tae-ju always accessible inside her smartphone and TV screens, Jung-i

Sept. 4, 2024

SK Telecom, Perplexity team up for AI-powered search engine

SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest wireless carrier by membership, announced Wednesday a partnership with Silicon Valley-based AI search unicorn Perplexity to revolutionize traditional keyword-based search into a more dynamic, conversational experience. With the conversational AI market projected to expand from $13.2 billion in 2024 to $49.9 billion by 2030, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas and its sole Korean partner SK Telecom revealed their collaborative ambitions at a joint press confere

Sept. 4, 2024

Samsung rolls out artwork subscription service for premium TVs

Samsung Electronics introduced Tuesday an annual artwork subscription service for The Frame, the company’s premium TV, offering access to more than 2,500 pieces of art in a vivid 4K QLED display all year round. Samsung Art Store is the company’s digital curator service, delivering 4K-quality artworks from the most distinguished artists, museums and industry tastemakers. The subscription service is available on The Frame, the lifestyle TV that doubles as a digital canvas. It displays

Sept. 3, 2024

Would Samsung benefit from Intel exit from foundry race?

Facing its worst earnings crisis in its 56-year history, Intel is reportedly reconsidering its lackluster foundry business, where it has set the goal of beating Samsung Electronics to become the industry's No. 2 by 2030. For Samsung, which is seeking to carve out its share in the foundry market dominated by Taiwan-based TSMC, Intel's exit could be beneficial, removing a potential threat, according to experts here. On Sunday, Bloomberg reported that Intel, the world's leading chipm

Sept. 2, 2024

LG Electronics sets up consortium for heat pump technology in China

LG Electronics said Sunday it has established a consortium in China to accelerate the development of the core technologies for next-generation heat pumps, adding to its research hubs in North America and Europe. Under the collaboration agreement, LG will be working with leading heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) researchers from Harbin Institute of Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Xian Jiaotong University, the company said. The company has been expanding its research a

Sept. 1, 2024

SK Speedmate launches as rebranded auto repair firm

SK Speedmate, an automotive maintenance company, announced Sunday its official launch after spinning off from SK Networks to become a top automotive aftermarket service provider in Korea. SK Networks decided to spin off the Speedmate division as part of its push to transition to an AI-centric company. The automotive maintenance business has been rebranded as SK Speedmate, and is now a full-owned subsidiary under the rental firm. SK owns 43.9 percent of SK Networks. “Utilizing our strong br

Sept. 1, 2024

LG Display starts production of advanced OLED displays for gaming

LG Display said Thursday it has kicked off mass production of its 27-inch 480Hz Quad HD gaming OLED panel that boasts the industry’s highest refresh rate and fastest response time, targeting the high-end gaming market. The new panel is made to show the best performance in key criteria for gaming displays, which are refresh rate, images displayed per second and response time in displaying graphic card signals, LG said. “We will create differentiated customer value and secure leadershi

Aug. 29, 2024

SK hynix develops world's first 10-nm DRAM chip

SK hynix, the world's second-largest memory chip-maker, said Thursday it has developed the industry’s first 16-gigabyte DDR5 chip using its 1c node, the sixth generation of the 10-nanometer process technology. The success marks the beginning of the extreme scaling to the level closer to 10 nanometers in the memory process technology, according to SK hynix. SK hynix has become the first in the industry to overcome technological limitations by raising the level of completion in design,

Aug. 29, 2024