SK Telecom has formed strategic marketing ties with Kia Motors for customers of both companies to enjoy greater cross-benefits.Korea’s biggest mobile carrier said that the partnership includes offering 4G Long Term Evolution smartphone users to receive a discount for the purchase and maintenance of Kia automobiles.For instance, SK Telecom’s LTE customers can get a discount of up to 200,000 won when buying a car from Korea’s second-largest automaker, the telecom company said.Both companies will i

July 2, 2012

DSM, a global producer of fibers, has introduced a new, stronger fiber used for the production of mooring ropes for deep-sea oil and gas exploration and production.The fiber, DM 20, is a lot smaller in diameter than polyester, has high fatigue resistance and is weightless in water, the company said in a press release.With strength, stiffness and durability, DM 20 can ensure that mooring ropes have “maximum strength over a maximum lifetime, as well as faster handling and improved safety,” the com

Industry July 2, 2012

SK Telecom, Korea’s biggest mobile carrier, said Sunday that it has officially launched its new multicarrier service as of midnight, July 1.This marks the first time for a telecom company anywhere to offer such a service, which uses two frequencies of 800 MHz and 1.8 GHz for Long Term Evolution smartphones.It allows 4G consumers to experience less mobile traffic in locations such as Gangnam in southern Seoul where people using mobile devices are densely populated.The telecom giant launched a tes

Technology July 1, 2012

But technology giant will still fall short of market expectations, analysts saySamsung Electronics, the world’s largest smartphone maker, is likely to have reached record-high earnings in the second quarter of this year.But the company is expected to deliver results below market expectations, with many analysts lowering their initial forecast due to the eurozone crisis and continued slowdown in the semiconductor sector.The general consensus among analysts indicated that the tech manufacturing gi

Technology July 1, 2012

LG Display, Korea’s display manufacturing giant, said Thursday that it has expanded partnerships with its five suppliers to further share profit and technical know-how in line with the country’s move to promote shared growth.The five subcontractors LG Display has sought to boost benefit-sharing with are Exax, a chemical and electronics materials maker; Heesung Metal, a metal and materials company; Glonix, a display glass materials maker; Dong Yang Industrial, a plastic materials maker; and Oh Su

Technology June 28, 2012

SK Telecom, Korea’s largest mobile carrier, won recognition at a ceremony held in London Wednesday for having and commercializing femtocell technology and services.At the Small Cell Industry Awards hosted by the Small Cell Forum, SK Telecom received an innovative award for its femtocell, which allows mobile phone users to remain connected in small and limited spaces via broadband networks.SK Telecom’s partners Contela, a Korean wireless solution firm, and Mindspeed Technologies, a U.S.-based sem

Technology June 28, 2012

Organic light-emitting diode television, the next emerging display technology following liquid crystal display TVs, will soon replace plasma display panels and traditional cathode ray tube TVs in people’s living rooms, according to DisplaySearch.The global OLED TV market is forecast to grow 10-fold annually by 2014, and reach over 10 million sets in terms of annual sales by 2016, the global display research firm said.With Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, two leading global TV giants, expe

Technology June 27, 2012

KT has launched a new information and technology service targeting the industrial automotive industry.Korea’s second-largest mobile carrier said the new service, named “Smart Eco Drive,” is integrated with vehicle telematics applications and offers drivers real-time monitoring and analysis on the condition of their automobiles. Telematics is the combining of telecommunications and information technology, but commonly refers to automation in vehicles. Data including speed, driving time and locati

Technology June 26, 2012

KT and the Wireless Broadband Alliance will be holding a conference called Wi-Fi Global Congress from June 26 to 28 in Seoul.KT, Korea’s second largest mobile carrier, said Tuesday that as the host of the international event, the company and some 80 telecom participants will seek ways to boost Wi-Fi roaming and develop new wireless technology via global partnerships.The three-day conference will aim to further make Wi-Fi roaming accessible around the world by the first half of 2013, KT noted.Con

Technology June 26, 2012

SK Planet said Monday that the number of users of its mobile payment platform has exceeded 5 million since the company launched it two years ago.Named “Smart Wallet,” the mobile platform allows consumers to use coupons, gift cards, royalty and credit cards via their smartphones without having to carry all of different plastic cards for shopping.The platform was launched in June 2010, and hit 1 million users in nine months, and 3 million November last year, the company said.SK Planet, the mobile

Technology June 25, 2012