Korean tech firm Nanobrick is set to develop a platform that can certify genuine goods in partnership with the Chinese government. The company said Wednesday it would develop and customize the system together with the state-run Sichuan Institute of Computer Science with the aim of launching it early next year. “We decided to develop a new certification solution with Nanobrick as diverse forgery prevention policies that were implemented have failed,” said an official at Sichuan Institute of Compu

Technology Nov. 16, 2016

Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it will acquire Canada-based NewNet Communication Technologies, a company operating Rich Communications Services.RCS, which are viewed as the standard for future SMS text messaging, allows regular text messaging to be used like chat messaging apps such as KakaoTalk or Facebook Messenger.Samsung said, “The acquisition reinforces the company’s commitment to RCS as mobile networks transit to IP-based networks and services.”The acquisition will enable Samsung to of

Technology Nov. 16, 2016

A team from Seoul National University on Tuesday unveiled a door-to-door self-driving taxi for the first time in the nation. Called Snuber 2, it is an upgraded version of an app-based self-driving taxi Snuber developed in November 2015. The new autonomous car developed with Hyundai’s Genesis sedan is capable of tracking moving subjects, avoiding collision risk, driving on narrow roads and recognizing traffic lights and speed limit signs. Sensors in Snuber 2 detect moving objects in green and yel

Technology Nov. 15, 2016

Samsung Electronics said Monday it will acquire US connected car system provider Harman International Industries to accelerate its push into the smart car business.It is the largest-ever merger and acquisition of a foreign firm by a Korean company. The tech giant said it will acquire Harman for $112 per share in cash, for a total equity value of approximately $8 billion.The transaction, which is subject to approval by Harman shareholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditio

Technology Nov. 14, 2016

LG Electronics’ flagship smartphone V20 has reached cumulative sales of 200,000 units in the US market within 10 days of its launch, the company said Monday. The Korean tech giant said the sales of around 20,000 units per day were nearly double those of the previous model V10.  LG V20. (Yonhap)The V20, which sports a 5.7-inch display and dual cameras, is the most-hyped smartphone of the year when it comes to audio features. The phone is equipped with three mics and four digital-to-analog convert

Technology Nov. 14, 2016

Korea East-West Power Co., a subsidiary of Korea Electric Power Corp., is showcasing its smart working environment at the third Government 3.0 Fair, which runs through Saturday at BEXCO, Busan.The Government 3.0 Fair is an event hosted by the government to share the best practices of public information and communication within government divisions. Korea East-West Power Co. employees wear virtual reality glasses which show a 360-degree view of a smart office environment at the third Government 3

Industry Nov. 11, 2016

Samsung Electronics is being cautious about the rollout of its foldable smartphone as it closely gauges market demand, according to sources familiar with the matter. “Samsung is already capable of mass producing foldable phones -- although premium models are usually made in small quantities -- by late next year. But, the company is not sure whether there is market demand for the costly, foldable devices,” a source told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity. “If (the market condition is) con

Technology Nov. 10, 2016

South Korea’s largest automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors are expanding production capacity in China, the world’s largest vehicle market, with the aim of meeting growing demand for sport utility vehicles, eco-friendly cars and infotainment services. Hyundai and Kia said they plan to secure production capacity of a total of 2.7 million units -- 1.8 million units from Hyundai and 890,000 units from Kia -- in China by 2017 through its plants in Beijing, Cangzhou and Chongqing.  Hyundai Motor Gr

Mobility Nov. 9, 2016

South Korea prosecutors raided the headquarters of Samsung Group on Tuesday to investigate the extent to which the conglomerate was implicated in a political scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil.  Around 20 investigators searched the office of Park Sang-jin, who is chief of Samsung Electronics and chairman of the Korea Equestrian Federation, and the offices of other executives located in the company’s Seocho office building that is the group’s headquart

Industry Nov. 8, 2016

Samsung Electronics’ next flagship smartphone Galaxy S8 will adopt an artificial intelligence platform, which will also be applied into all of its home appliances, the company said Friday. “We will focus on how to provide more pleasure and convenience to users through VIV Labs’ AI solution,” Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Electronics’ vice chairman, said while meeting the chiefs of VIV Labs in the company’s Seocho office building in Seoul on Friday. Lee added that Samsung would strengthen its technology

Technology Nov. 6, 2016