Samsung Electronics is seeking to take leadership in the home appliance operating system field after a failure to squeeze into the mobile sector, dominated by Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS.In 2012, Samsung unveiled Tizen with the ambition to take share from the mobile OS market and expand its presence in the software market. But the system has just 1 percent of global market share. Only some low-end smartphones sold in India are Tizen-powered. Seeing little chance in the mobile OS sector, the

Technology Nov. 4, 2016

SK Telecom and Facebook will create a center in Korea early next year to foster startup companies in the field of communications infrastructure, the local carrier said Thursday. This will be the first such center to be set up by Facebook in the world and the first collaboration between the global social media giant and South Korea’s largest mobile carrier.  SK Telecom’s chief technology officer Choi Jin-sung speaks at TIP summit held in Facebook’s headquarters in Silicon Valley. (SK Telecom)The

Technology Nov. 3, 2016

Foreign companies operating in South Korea generally shared views that the presidential scandal does not directly affect their business -- yet. However, if the political issue is prolonged, it may pose stronger risks as it could slow the country’s economic activity, the executives said. Korea is currently reeling from a political scandal involving Choi Soon-sil, who is accused of peddling influence and interfering in state affairs as a secret adviser to President Park Geun-hye.  (Yonhap)Amid gro

Technology Nov. 1, 2016

Chinese tech giant Huawei is expected to launch its premium smartphones for the first time in Korea, targeting the gap in the market left by the Galaxy Note 7. Huawei’s premium smartphones P9 and P9 plus gained radio equipment approvals from the National Radio Research Agency on Oct. 23 and Oct. 30, respectively, the tech firm’s Korean unit confirmed Monday. The phones are expected to be rolled out in December via Huawei’s local partner LG Plus and priced from around 700,000 won ($612) to 800,00

Technology Oct. 31, 2016

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors have agreed to pay $41.2 million to settle investigations over inflated fuel economy ratings in US states.“We have faithfully taken all the follow-up measures related to the fuel economy ratings,” Hyundai said on Friday. In return for the settlement, the group representing 33 states -- which claimed the automakers misrepresented fuel economy in advertising -- decided not to file lawsuits against the automakers. The deal is the latest in the ongoing fallout from the a

Mobility Oct. 28, 2016

German home appliances maker Miele denied on Friday claims by LG Electronics that it had infringed on washing machine-related patents. “LG Electronics claimed that Miele used its patent technologies, but we delivered a strong message to LG that we did not use a third party’s patents without permission,” said a Miele Korea spokesperson. “Miele currently holds patents related to steam washing machine technologies and some are under the patent application process,” he said, adding that it is a rout

Technology Oct. 28, 2016

The appointment of Samsung Electronics’ Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong as a member of the board of directors was overshadowed by concerns over the Note 7 fallout at a shareholders meeting Thursday.In the morning, shareholders appointed the grandson of the Samsung founder to its board of directors, paving the way for Lee to step up as an official leader of South Korea’s largest conglomerate. Lee did not attend the meeting.(Yonhap)The unanimous vote, however, was soon followed by questions from shareh

Technology Oct. 27, 2016

By Yoon Yong-chul Senior vice president of public relations office at SKTThe Internet of Things connecting people to devices and devices to devices is no longer a future technology.It is becoming a part of our life, and SK Telecom believes the change has altered the fundamental nature of our society. Yoon Yong-chulTwo sides -- whether they are people or devices -- are now connecting through the Internet of Things in ways we could not imagine in the past. Connecting the two creates synergies and

Technology Oct. 27, 2016

Samsung Display is betting on panels for virtual reality and augmented reality to further expand its presence in the mobile OLED market, its top engineer said at a display seminar on Wednesday. “We are expecting the mobile OLED market to grow thanks to the advent of new applications such as virtual reality and augmented reality,” Park Won-sang, Samsung Display’s principal engineer, said at the International Meeting on Information Display held in Seoul. He said the shipment of virtual reality dev

Technology Oct. 26, 2016

The seventh generation of the BMW 5 series (BMW)The new seventh generation of the BMW 5 series sedan highlights a high-tech driving assistance system, a step closer to autonomous driving technologies, the automaker said on Sunday. The German auto giant said the new sedan’s driving assistance system features a stereo camera, which constantly monitors the car surroundings with radar and an ultrasonic sensor. The new sedan also has a lane control assistant function to allow the car to head off the

Mobility Oct. 23, 2016