LG Electronics said Monday it plans to apply artificial intelligence technology into its after-sales service application, Smart Doctor, in the first quarter. Smart Doctor is a maintenance app that helps users optimize their use of smartphones, such as by removing unused data or files. LG said it added AI technology, including machine learning and big data, to the app to analyze and provide customized solutions.  (Yonhap)For example, the app will tell users how to adjust the brightness when a sma

Technology Jan. 9, 2017

Samsung SDI unveiled on Monday a new battery cell that will charge electric vehicles faster at this year’s Detroit auto show.The battery maker said its new battery cell, which should be mass produced by 2021, will enable EVs to run up to 500 kilometers with just 20 minutes of charging. When produced, the new battery will offer the longest mileage for electric cars, the company said. Tesla’s Model S, which currently offers the longest mileage, runs up to 209 kilometers after charging for 20 minut

Technology Jan. 9, 2017

Samsung Electronics is reviewing building a home appliance plant in the US in response to US President-elect Donald Trump’s protectionist policies, the tech firm said Monday. “It is true we are considering the establishment of an appliance factory in the US. It is natural that an enterprise responds accordingly when a client nation’s policy changes,” a Samsung Electronics official told The Korea Herald. “Nothing has been confirmed yet.” (Yonhap)North America is currently Samsung’s largest home a

Industry Jan. 9, 2017

The nation’s second-largest mobile carrier KT said Friday its incumbent chairman has officially announced he is willing to serve a second term after his three-year tenure. “Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu officially informed (the company of) his intention of serving another term to a committee that recommends the CEO. The committee plans to review Hwang’s qualifications based on screening standards,” KT said in its statement.  KT Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu (KT)The committee -- which comprises of seven in

Industry Jan. 6, 2017

Samsung Electronics said Friday its preliminary operating profit seems to have reached a three-year high in the fourth quarter of last year on strong chip and display sales, offsetting the Note 7 debacle. The company said it expects to post 53 trillion won ($44 billion) in sales and 9.2 trillion won in operating profit for the period from September to December, 10.8 percent and 76.9 percent higher, respectively, than the previous quarter. “(The highest quarterly profit) comes from rising DRAM pr

Industry Jan. 6, 2017

LG Electronics revealed Thursday its most premium television brand OLED TV W, saving it for last at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Korean tech firm said it partnered with the US audio firm Dolby and US postproduction company Technicolor for the premium television to adopt the best definition, design and sound technologies. “LG’s OLED TV provides a perfect audio and video environment, like a theater, with Dolby’s sound and Technicolor’s color technology,” said Kwon Bong-suk, LG’s

Technology Jan. 5, 2017

Korean tech giants, Samsung and LG, have ushered in the future of Internet of Things and artificial intelligence technologies by revealing their latest plans and technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show that opens on Thursday in Las Vegas. Samsung Electronics’ chief gave a sneak peek at the firm’s plan on IoT on the eve of the show, along with the revelation of its Wi-Fi-based home appliances controllable via smartphones. “Samsung will achieve the infinite possibility of IoT connectivity to

Technology Jan. 5, 2017

Tesla Motors Inc. reported fourth-quarter deliveries that fell short of its own forecasts, sending shares lower in after-market trading, as production delays continue to plague the carmaker led by Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk.The Palo Alto, California-based maker of electric cars and energy-storage products delivered about 22,200 vehicles in the final three months of last year, according to a statement Tuesday. The total trailed the automaker’s projection for 25,000 units and brought its fu

Mobility Jan. 4, 2017

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon filed a complaint against a local magazine on Wednesday at a press-arbitration body after it reported that Ban received bribes worth $230,000.Officials representing Ban said the complaint was sent to the Press Arbitration Commission, claiming the report made by the Seoul-based weekly magazine Sisa Journal was groundless.Sisa Journal earlier reported in December, citing multiple unnamed sources, that Ban received bribes from Park Yeon-cha, a local scandal-r

Politics Jan. 4, 2017

Samsung SDI is reportedly to continue supplying its battery for Samsung Electronics‘ upcoming flagship smartphone Galaxy S8, according to local news reports on Wednesday.“Samsung Electronics has recently confirmed the battery supply for its premium smartphone Galaxy S8. Although it can diversify the supply channels in the future, it will use Samsung SDI’s batteries for the time being,” a local business newspaper Maeil Business reported, citing a source from a battery maker.  (Yonhap)When Samsung

Technology Jan. 4, 2017

Korea’s two tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are slated to show off their latest television technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which opens Thursday. Samsung is touting its new quantum dot QLED TV series as the next big TV technology, ditching its super-ultra high-definition brand that it has used for the last two years.  (Samsung)The move was viewed by industry watchers to take aim at its rival LG increasing market share in the premium TV market with or

Technology Jan. 4, 2017

LG Electronics is being pegged for a turnaround in mobile business this year thanks to a major restructuring of the mobile unit last year and its first-mover advantage, rolling out its flagship smartphone G6 early this year, according to local analysts. LG’s mobile communications unit had a tough year as the G6’s predecessor G5 failed to excite consumers. The unit is expected to post around 1.2 trillion won ($1 billion) in operating losses for 2016. Analysts predicted, however, LG could seize an

Technology Jan. 3, 2017

Electric vehicles using the products of Korean battery makers Samsung SDI and LG Chem were left out from government subsidies in China, it was revealed Sunday, with South Korean industry watchers suspecting that the move could be part of Beijing’s retaliation against Korea’s deployment of a missile defense system. 　Both battery makers are maintaining a wait-and-see stance to the measure. Samsung said it is “grasping the situation through its Chinese arm,” while LG is hoping “things work out well

Technology Jan. 2, 2017