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New jury makes Samsung uneasy

By Kim Yoo-chulOfficials of Samsung Electronics showed mixed feelings for the newly formed jury which will review the blockbuster patent infringement case involving Samsung and Apple.On the first day of the second round of their legal battle, Judge Lucy H. Koh of the San Jose court selected new jurors.The jury includes a number of iPhone owners as well as several people with ties to the technology industry.“Samsung hopes the latest round will be reviewed fairly without individual preferences, prejudice and even nationalism,” said an industry official, asking not to be named.The official added the new jury selection was “quite balanced.” Judge Koh ordered a previous jury to recalculate Samsung’s payment to Apple citing the misconduct of the jury foreman Velvin Hogan in the first round.Samsung said those picked include a retired software executive at the International Business Machines (IBM), a community service officer and a retired plumber.“Samsung will take a closer look whether or not the new jurors are linked to Apple in terms of busin

Apr 1, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Samsung SDI to take over Cheil

By Kim Yoo-chulSamsung SDI, the battery making unit of Samsung group, will acquire electronics materials affiliate Cheil Industries, the company said Monday.“SDI plans to acquire Cheil by offering Cheil shareholders 0.44 SDI share for each Cheil share,” SDI and Cheil said in a joint statement, early Monday.The plan is subject to the approval of sides’ shareholders on May 20. Completion of the acquisition will be done on July 1.SDI spokesman Seo Hae-su said that the merger came as the company was desperate to strengthen its competitiveness in electronic materials in order to transform the company into a global top energy-focused firm.“Cheil Industries has been consistent in investing materials to be used in energy and automotive solutions as well as those for displays and semiconductors. The acquisition plan is a win-win strategy. SDI will internalize battery-related materials techs owned by Cheil,” Cheil Industries CEO Cho Nam-sung said.With the acquisition, Cheil Industries will become history. Cheil, a symbol for Samsung, started in the textile and fas

Mar 31, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Google to back game developers

By Kim Yoo-chulA senior Google executive said the U.S.-based software giant will increase its investment in Korean game developers to help them expand their global territories.During a teleconference call, Chris Yerga, engineering director for Android at Google, said it plans to offer guidelines in design and user experience as well as a free translation service to Korean game developers who use the Google Play platform.“When you use Google Play’s gaming service, you will be advised about details of design customization and guideline in user interface fitted in Android devices. Translation service with different languages and regions will also be available,” said the Google executive.Stressing the popularity of Google Android devices, the executive said Korea is one of the key markets with Japan and the United States by revenue generation for Google Play, a digital distribution platform for applications for the Android OS.Yerga said Google Play platform is appropriate for Korean developers seeking international expansion as the platform covers 1 billion users in 190

Mar 31, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

SK to bolster EV battery business

By Kim Yoo-chulSK Innovation said Sunday that it will start battery production at a plant in China in the latter half of the year. In a statement to The Korea Times, the battery-making affiliate of the SK Group said it will increase investment to expand capacity there because it sees growth potential in China’s EV market.“As an initial step, SK Innovation plans to operate our battery-pack plant in China with an annual capacity of 10,000 packs for EVs by the second half of the year,” said the company. A battery-pack is a set of any number of individual battery cells. In January this year, SK Innovation, the owner of Korea’s biggest refiner SK Energy, formed a joint venture, Beijing BESK Technology, with China’s state-run Beijing Automotive Industries Holdings and Beijing Electronics Holdings, the world’s No. 5 LCD manufacturer.It said top management believes that the collaboration will be a catalyst to expand its share in the expanding Chinese EV market. China is expected to become the world’s single largest EV market by 2020 with Beijing incr

Mar 30, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
SK to bolster EV battery business
Tech & Science

Apple is patent troll

By Kim Yoo-chul Samsung Electronics is expected to emphasize that Apple is a “patent troll” in a new round of their blockbuster patent battle, industry sources said Friday.The first hearing is scheduled in San Jose, Calif., Monday, and will deal with commercial patents for smartphones.Previously, the court dealt with the validity of standard-essential patents.The iPhone5 and Galaxy S3, the two firms’ more recent products, will be covered under the supervision of Federal Judge Lucy Koh in what will be a jury decision.Apple may demand Samsung to pay $40 per mobile phone sold in the U.S., according to a legal paper it has submitted to the court.This time, Samsung appears to be better-positioned because the court is dealing with commercial patents, the results of long-time research and development (R&D).“Samsung has been consistent in creating a new ecosystem for the smartphone market by signing licensing deals with concerned firms,” said an official at the Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO).“However, Apple is becoming a patent troll by

Mar 28, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Apple is patent troll
Tech & Science

Samsung denies early release of Galaxy S5

By Kim Yoo-chulSamsung Electronics said Wednesday that it will start selling its latest Galaxy S5 (S5) smartphone from April 11 as scheduled, denying speculation that it may release the new handset in Korea earlier.“Samsung hasn’t agreed with SK Telecom for an early release of our S5 to only SK Telecom customers,” Samsung co-CEO and head of its mobile division Shin Jong-kyun told reporters after a weekly meeting of company CEOs at its main office in Seocho, southern Seoul.Shin’s remarks came after many newspapers reported that Samsung was discussing a March 27 release with Korea’s largest mobile carrier. SK is banned from signing up new customers for one month from April 11 as a punishment imposed by the telecom regulator for offering illegal subsidies.After confirmation by Samsung, SK hurriedly cancelled a plan to release a statement notifying customers that the S5 would be available from March 27.“As Samsung officially denied an early release of the S5, we cancelled a plan to distribute an official statement to reporters, though the statement had

Mar 26, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

LG targets W5 tril. in air conditioner sales

Nho Hwan-yong, second from left, president of LG Electronics’ air-conditioning division, and the company’s marketing chief Choi Sang-kyu, third from left, stand next to its new air conditioners during a launch event in downtown Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of LG ElectronicsBy Kim Yoo-chulLG Electronics plans to generate at least 5 trillion won in annual revenue from its air-conditioner business this year as the firm expects a mild recovery in real estate markets to boost the demand for both commercial and household air conditioners.“LG’s air-conditioner division, excluding components, reported 4.6 trillion won in revenue last year. This year, we are aiming to grow revenue by double-digits,” Nho Hwan-yong, president of the company’s air-conditioning division, told reporters during a news conference in downtown Seoul, Tuesday.The executive admitted that the sales curve for its commercial air-conditioners to be used in offices and buildings remained stagnant.However, the company plans to soothe concerns over the worsening profitability of that division

Mar 25, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Samsung may cut chip production in US

By Kim Yoo-chulSamsung Electronics plans to reduce processor chip production and investment in its plant in Austin, Texas, this year due to sluggish demand from Apple and rising inventory, according to company and industry officials Tuesday.The officials said Samsung will cut its investment in the plant to 1 trillion won for this year as it has failed to win any major orders.Apple is cutting its reliance on Samsung-manufactured processors, a key part in handsets and computers. The operating rate at the factory ― which employs more than 5,500 people and generates $1.5 billion in revenue annually ― was below 70 percent in February.Samsung has designated the Austin plant to produce only processor chips. “Samsung will invest less than 1 trillion won in its chip facility in Austin depending on the market situation,” said an official at one of Samsung’s technology affiliates by telephone, asking not to be identified.“The utilization of the Austin line isn’t that high as Apple orders are disappointing. Samsung should have greater flexibility in operat

Mar 25, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Samsung may cut chip production in US
Tech & Science

Deregulation needed to boost IT industry

By Kim Yoo-chulThe government needs to ease regulations and replace them with more supportive policies in the IT sector in order for Korean players to compete with their rapidly growing Chinese rivals on the back of support from the Chinese government.Currently, the market for messaging applications, e-commerce and Internet ventures are bustling. Line, a messaging app developed by Naver Japan, is making bullish moves with the expectation that its initial public offering (IPO), which may happen sometime this year, will reach 35 trillion won.As Korean industries have so far developed through big investments in manufacturing, in which output commitment, better pricing and on-time delivery are essential, investors and officials are very impressed by the sharp rise of Line.“Line is becoming a platform, not just as a free messaging app, meaning that the Korean government should be more supportive in order for the industry to generate second and third Lines. China is backing up businesses such as Alibaba and Tencent by easing regulations,” said a senior fund manager from a U.S.-

Mar 25, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Samsung to raise LCD investment

By Kim Yoo-chulSamsung Display plans to hike its investment in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) that provide ultra high-definition (UHD) picture quality (UHD LCDs) by as much as 14 percent this year from a year ago to meet the rising demand for the panels .The plan comes after Samsung Electronics, the world’s biggest TV manufacturer, shifted its focus from OLED TVs to LCD-based UHD TVs, which it identified as the next cash cow in the TV segment.“Samsung Display is still struggling to improve production yield defect rates in OLED panels,” said an official at Samsung Display by telephone. The company is putting more resources on strengthening its research and development (R&D) activites for large-sized OLED TVs. “Higher costs are still another headache. As Samsung Electronics remains bullish about the outlook for UHD TVs, Samsung Display plans to increase its investment in LCD panels for UHD TVs by up to 14 percent,” he added. According to DisplaySearch, a market research firm, Samsung Display will increase its annual shipment for UHD LCDs to 4.6 million

Mar 21, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul
Samsung to raise LCD investment
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