In South Korea where high-speed Internet is as common as tap water, many other technological advantages have made my fast-paced daily life easier and more efficient than anywhere else ― I have worked in highly-developed countries including the U.S., U.K., Germany and Japan before moving to Korea.
Working in Gangnam, Seoul, I drive to the office by car which is equipped with satellite navigation and Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB). I listen to the radio while driving, but when the car stops at the red light, the DMB turns on, allowing me watch some television. It is controlled automatically to ensure everyone’s safety. In the mornings, I usually switch off its detailed three dimensional sightseeing street map ― it looks like a videogame to me.
Walking to the office building I start my smartphone using one of the dozen Wi-Fi connections to research about DMB on Naver. Naver is Korea’s search engine dominating over 70 percent of the local market with its own user-generated content casting a shadow on Google’s aggregated content and 2-percent local presence. Naver’s search results show that the world’s first DMB service started on Korean mobile phones in 2005. I’m not sure if my American-made phone even had a camera that year.
When I book certain restaurants via my mobile phone I often receive detailed confirmation text messages the moment I hang up. These are usually followed by a notification shortly before my booking. The free text message service comes in handy especially when reminding me of doctor appointments.
While withdrawing cash for the evening, I have the option to deposit and transfer money from almost any touch-screen cash machine in Seoul ― the machine counts the notes that I deposit correctly every time. Speaking of which, the usability of the atm brings to mind a fond memory of first opening my bank account in Seoul. On the day I opened my account, I was given a debit card right from the teller and could even choose my own pin code by typing it on the handy machine.
After a delicious Korean dinner at a restaurant equipped with a table buzzer system that allows me to call for service easily, I make my way to a coffee shop. Without the need to constantly monitor the progress of my beverage I am comfortably waiting for it with the wireless buzzer in my hand. On the back of the device is written ``Made in Korea.”
When opening my apartment door I slide up the cover of my door’s security keypad and type in the code on the backlit display. I am so happy that I don’t need to worry about keys anymore.
Sitting on the sofa in the evening, I want to enjoy a movie with my wife. If there are no interesting programs to watch on HD IP TV and the wealth of on-demand services, I just directly plug in my external hard disk to my Korean TV without worrying about a video codec or converter boxes at all.
Speaking of IP TV reminds me to call my family abroad using our Wi-Fi IP phone before going to bed. After all tomorrow is another day full of technological adventures.