Samsung Electronics said Monday it will dole out 33 billion won ($27.6 million) for academic research projects on future technologies in the fields of basic science, materials and information communications technology. The South Korean tech giant will support 26 research projects, including seven in basic science, 10 in material technology and nine related to ICT. In basic science, Samsung will offer funds for discovering treatments for brain tumors and theorization for quantum optics, it said.I

Technology Oct. 7, 2019

LG Display, the world’s largest organic light-emitting diode panel provider, said Friday the company has shed nearly one quarter of its executives as part of an organizational restructuring to normalize financial capabilities. The panel manufacturer has cut the number of executives above the team leader level by 25 percent by incorporating overlapping departments and simplifying the organizational structure, it said. In order to speed up its change in portfolio from an LCD-focused lineup t

Technology Oct. 4, 2019

LG Chem, South Korea’s leading lithium-ion battery maker, might build a new plant to manufacture electric vehicle battery cells in the United States with its longtime partner General Motors, according to news reports Friday. Rumors have been circulating here since the Wall Street Journal reported that GM had offered a deal to the striking United Automobile Workers, which would entail the construction of a new battery cell plant in Lordstown, Ohio. The deal was reportedly made to assua

Technology Oct. 4, 2019

LG Electronics said Friday that its rollable organic light-emitting diode TV was granted an award as one of best 100 design product in Japan. The LG Signature OLED R, the world’s first rollable TV unveiled by LG at CES2019 in January, was the only product by a Korean company that was named the Best 100 products at Japan’s Good Design Award 2019. Other than the rollable TV, LG’s 8K TV, air conditioner and refrigerator in the Signature lineup received awards.  “The dev

Technology Oct. 4, 2019

Samsung Electronics’ third-quarter earnings are in the limelight amid emerging signs of a recovery in demand for memory chips, according to industry sources Thursday. The South Korean tech giant is scheduled to announce its preliminary earnings guidance next week. Market analysts forecast it has posted an operating profit of over 7 trillion won ($5.8 billion) in the July-September period. Shinhan Financial Investment predicted in a report that the tech giant will post 60.64 trillion won in

Technology Oct. 3, 2019

LG Electronics said Thursday the company has expanded its lineup of high-definition projectors by launching an LED 4K projector in addition to the laser versions. The LG 4K CineBeam meets the need of consumers who enjoy watching movies at home. It offers a large-size projected display of up to 140 inches.  The latest model uses four LED light sources unlike existing LED projectors by adding one more blue light, which enhances brightness and definition. Google Assistant and LG’s smart

Technology Oct. 3, 2019

Average prices for DRAM widely used for PCs and solid-state drives have stabilized for a second straight month, raising expectations for a rebound in the coming months, according to the industry on Wednesday. Market researcher DRAM eXchange said the price of 8-gigabit DDR4 mainly used for PCs stood at $2.94 on Sept. 30, unchanged from the end of August. The 128-Gb multiple-level cells going into SSDs and USB drives was $4.11 last month, at the same level from the previous month.  It marked

Technology Oct. 2, 2019

Samsung Next has invested in a quantum computing startup spun off from a Harvard institution, in a move seen as the conglomerate’s preparations for next-generation computing, according to the industry on Wednesday. The startup investment arm of Samsung Electronics said on its blog that it has invested $2.7 million in Aliro Technologies with a group of investors including Flybridge Capital Partners. The latest investment was financed by its Q Fund, created last year to invest in innova

Technology Oct. 2, 2019

LG Electronics said Tuesday that the existing regulations banning tech firms from promoting alcoholic beverages has been lifted and it can now host beer tasting events to promote its products. The company had requested the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to waive the existing rules in August.It can now hold tasting events at its shops for beer made from its latest HomeBrew machine launched in July and plans to host events across the country, starting November. The HomeBrew machine ca

Technology Oct. 1, 2019

Samsung Electronics on Monday opened a shop for its highest-end display lineup The Wall in the southern part of Seoul, rolling out the first modular displays. The world’s top TV manufacturer is showcasing the 146-inch The Wall Luxury packaged with Danish audio brand ODEPort’s Steinway Lyngdorf audio system Model O at the ODE shop in the Gangnam district.  It is the third showcase venue for the latest display technology by Samsung, following the first located in the Harrods depar

Technology Sept. 30, 2019

The International Committee of Display Metrology has refused to intervene in the ongoing spat between Samsung and LG Electronics over the technical superiority of their respective 8K TV technologies, according to industry sources Monday. US-based ICDM is an organization of top display metrologists and specialists of related sciences whose goal is to produce standards for measurement and evaluation of displays in a uniform and consistent manner. Regarding the use of contrast modulation -- the lev

Technology Sept. 30, 2019

　The months-long legal dispute between South Korea’s major battery makers centering on alleged talent poaching has shaken up other rivals, according to industry sources Sunday.　Many companies are reportedly concerned about holding on to their employees and protecting their intellectual property rights. 　After LG Chem accused SK Innovation in April of recruiting as many as 76 of its employees and stealing its trade secrets, some news reports have suggested the poaching has crossed borders.

Industry Sept. 29, 2019

LG Electronics said Wednesday it has filed lawsuits against three European home appliance manufacturers with a court in Munich over allegations that they infringed LG’s ice-making patents for side-by-side refrigerators. The accused companies are Arcelik, Beko and Grundig, affiliates of Turkey-based Koc Group, which sell home electronics in European markets.LG claimed that the three firms have violated its patents related to an ice-making system built into the door of a freezer. The Korean

Technology Sept. 25, 2019

Korea’s leading battery maker LG Chem said Tuesday the company has secured cathode materials for electric vehicles from Europe’s top supplier Umicore with a plan to ramp up its battery production in the region next year. The company signed a contract with the Belgium-based material supplier to procure 125,000 tons of cathode materials -- one of the four key materials for lithium-ion batteries -- starting next year.  The amount of purchased materials is equivalent to manufacturin

Technology Sept. 24, 2019

LG Group Chairman and CEO Koo Kwang-mo on Tuesday presided over a meeting of executives of group affiliates for the first time, during which he ordered the top brass to be swifter in preparing for the future. At the annual workshop held for the CEOs of LG affiliates, Koo emphasized that the current crisis facing businesses is different from previous crises, so it is imperative that the group move faster in seeking changes.  “The current L-shape economic downturn is new to us, and we h

Technology Sept. 24, 2019