[THE INVESTOR] Samsung SDI, which saw a whopping 700 billion won ($600 million) in operating losses in the first quarter, is expected to improve profitability in the second quarter, largely buoyed by growing demand for automotive batteries. On June 14, Kiwoom Securities estimated that the company’s operating loss could be reduced to stand at about 33.9 billion won for the April-June period. “As marketability is improving in the electric vehicle market, Samsung SDI’s battery business is also expe

Technology June 14, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] The Phantom 4 is the newest drone model by Chinese tech firm DJI. It is based on the DJI’s classic Quadro-Copter design of the Phantom series, with an X-shaped body, four propellers and a high-end camera mounted in a gimbal within a robust landing gear below the main body. Compared to the previous model Phantom 3, the body is streamlined. It has no edges or openings and the base plate of the gimbal with the SD card slot is integrated into the main body. The downward-looking sensor

Technology June 14, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics’ next flagship smartphone, tentatively dubbed Galaxy S8, is likely to come with a 5.5-inch, 4K UHD display, a market research firm said Wednesday. 　The Korean tech giant would become the first smartphone-maker to pack 4K resolution into its flagship smartphone, even though Sony last year released the Z5 Premium with such a panel. “Samsung Display showcased a 5.5 ultra-high definition 4K display with a pixel density of 806 ppi for virtual reality devices at the

Technology June 13, 2016

South Korean prosecutors said Monday they had summoned an executive of Audi Volkswagen Korea for questioning on charges against the automaker that include selling cars that had not received required certification and fabricating test results on fuel efficiency. The executive in charge of certification of the Korean arm is reportedly to be summoned at least three to four times for testimony. During the investigation, he may become a suspect, industry watchers said. This is the first probe into th

Business June 13, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Display’s shipments of organic-light emitting diode panels have more than doubled over the past year, as global smartphone manufacturers, including those in China, are increasingly adopting OLED displays. UBI Research, a local market research firm that specializes in OLED, estimates that Samsung’s OLED shipments have soared to about 86.7 million units in the first three months of this year. The research results were obtained by The Investor, an online English business webs

Technology June 13, 2016

Tesla Motors, upbeat on soaring orders for its new $35,000 full-electric family sedan Model 3, seems to have already secured an upper hand in its upcoming talks with suppliers. 　Since the much-hyped prototype was unveiled in April, preorders have surged to 276,000 in just three days. Deliveries will start late 2017 but long lines at Tesla stores were reminiscent of the crowds at Apple stores for early models of the iPhone. (Tesla)Now parts makers, especially those making the key parts such as ba

Technology June 10, 2016

Austria came close to becoming the first European Union country to elect a far-right head of state as postal ballots on Monday decided a knife-edge presidential vote in favour of the anti-immigration candidate‘s environmentalist opponent.The results were awaited nervously by governments across Europe, where populist anti-immigration parties have surged over the past year on concerns over a refugee influx, continued weak economic growth and high unemployment.After the election was too close to ca

World News May 24, 2016

Technology May 22, 2016

Samsung Electronics plans to announce a new structure of employee titles next month that aims to promote talented workers based on performance regardless of age or years of experience. According to industry sources Sunday, a task force team within the human resource management division has worked on the revision since the company’s announcement of a new corporate vision “Start-up Samsung” in March.  Samsung has maintained a typical structure of five employee ranks that is common at other Korean

Technology May 22, 2016

Samsung Electronics further widened the gap with runner-up Apple in terms of smartphone sales in the first quarter.According to research firm Gartner, Samsung’s smartphone sales were slightly up at 81.2 million units in the first three months of the year, making it the world’s largest smartphone-maker and earning it 23.2 percent market share. Its archrival Apple sold 51.6 million smartphones, which compared to 60.2 million iPhones sold in the same period a year ago. Its market share was down fro

Technology May 22, 2016

A former Samsung Electronics worker who contracted leukemia after working at the company’s chip plant, urged Banolim, an advocacy group that has led related compensations talks, to stop its politically-intended fight and take more care of cancer-stricken victims and their families. “About 150 people have applied to get compensations and some 110 of them have been compensated. We think the compensation process is nearing its end,” Kim Eun-kyung said Wednesday in her message posted on a Samsung we

Technology May 18, 2016

Saudi Arabia replaced its veteran oil minister with a close ally of the king’s increasingly influential son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as the world’s largest crude exporter embarks on an economic overhaul designed to make it less reliant on energy.After more than two decades in the post, Ali Al-Naimi, who’s been the central player in scores of OPEC meetings and steered global crude markets through several boom-and-bust cycles, will be succeeded by Khalid Al-Falih, currently chairm

World News May 8, 2016

After nearly two years since he was first hospitalized, Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee’s health is said to be stable currently. Even though the company does not reply to media inquiries about the chairman’s health, industry watchers assume that he is in stable condition but shows no sign of improving.  Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee (Yonhap)“The chairman’s health is his private issue. We do not comment on it,” said a Samsung spokesperson, declining to be named. The Samsung pa

Technology May 8, 2016

Technology May 8, 2016

Samsung Electronics has recently set up a new task force to develop chips for self-driving cars, a local news daily reported Sunday. The decision came almost six months after the Korean tech giant launched a new separate team for automotive parts late last year under its chip business division. Citing unnamed sources, the daily said the task force consists of researchers from the chip division’s system LSI unit that produces non-memory chips for mobile application processors and image sensors fo

Technology May 8, 2016