The Korea Times

Apple's design claim rejected

By Kim Yoo-chul A Korean court gave a partial victory to Samsung in its patent dispute with Apple, Friday. The three-judge panel in the Seoul Central District Court ruled that the Korean firm didn’t infringe on Apple’s designs, the key part of the iPhone maker’s legal argument, while the American firm copied two of Samsung’s wireless patents. The court ordered Apple to pay Samsung 40 million won in damages. Samsung was ordered to pay Apple 25 million won, with the court recognizing Apple’s claim that its rival infringed on its ``bounce-back’’ touch-screen feature. The ruling calls for Apple to stop selling iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 1 and iPad 2 in Korea, while Samsung must stop selling the Galaxy S, Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tabs. ``We believe Apple’s i-devices such as iPhone 3GS infringed on two of Samsung’s wireless patents,’’ said the presiding Judge Bae Jun-hyon. The court didn’t accept the claim by Apple that Samsung copied the iPhone design and failed to meet its commitment for FRAND principles. ``Samsung Electronics didn’t copy the iPhone,’’ said the cou

Aug 24, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Samsung may break away from copycat image

Tech & Science

Qualcomm to offer chips for LG smartphones

By Kim Yoo-chul Qualcomm said Thursday that it will collaborate with LG Electronics to supply Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processors to be used in the Korean firm’s latest smartphones. The advanced LG smartphone features 4G LTE connectivity and uses the APQ8064 solution. It is going to come out next month in Korea and globally soon afterwards. The combination of the APQ8064 and MDM9615 modem means that the upcoming LG phone will have impressive benefits such as a longer battery life. Qualcomm says the new S4 Pro chipset will deliver “all-day usage” and is targeted to take full advantage of upcoming multi-threaded user experiences like advanced gaming and virtual reality applications. Unlike the MSM-branded series the latest APQ8064 platform only has application processor functions, which means a baseband chip is separately required. But this is the first time that Qualcomm has made public its quad-core AP production plan. Aside from LG Electronics, Pantech ― the smallest local mobile carrier ― also has plans to release a 5.3-inch smartphone using Qualcomm solution

Aug 23, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

LG to mass-produce flexible displays

By Kim Yoo-chul It remains to be seen whether Future generations of the iPhone could have flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays that can bend and twist. LG Display, a major supplier of flat-screens to Apple, confirmed Thursday it would be able to mass produce flexible OLED displays from the second-half of next year. Han Sang-beom, LG Display’s CEO, didn’t reveal any names when talking about the orders the company has been receiving. However, it’s difficult to presume LG Display attempting such a big jump in technologies without commitment from Apple, its largest customer for screens. It’s hard to predict when smartphones with rubbery touch screens will ever be commercialized, but Han says at least LG Display’s screens will be there by the end of 2013. Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest mobile-phone maker, is expected to unveil a prototype of the bendable smartphone as early as this year although it remains to be seen how bendable the device really would be. Just because the touch-screens are flexible, that doesn’t mean the chips and other pa

Aug 23, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Will US jury protect Apple out of patriotism?

By Kim Yoo-chul Can nine U.S. jurors overcome their sense of patriotism in their verdict on the Apple-Samsung patent dispute? At stake is $2.75 billion the iPhone maker is seeking in compensation from the Korean technology giant for the latter’s alleged design copycatting. Considering protectionism is a misplaced outburst of patriotism, the jury can turn “protectionist,’’ Ahn Deuk-geun, a professor at Seoul National University (SNU) and expert in international trade policies, said Thursday. This comes against a bigger picture of protectionism at a national level. The U.S. is Apple’s home-turf and many Americans regard the late Apple founder Steve Jobs as an ``iconic figure’’ who led innovation and significantly helped create a new eco-system, stoking speculation that the jurors’ will side with Apple. Market-access restrictions have taken many forms, including government mandates supporting domestic companies, regulatory hurdles, tariffs and the manipulation of technology standards, according to experts. Korean technology firms are increasingly becoming primary

Aug 23, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Qualcomm to invest $1.8 million in Korea

By Kim Yoo-chul Qualcomm Ventures, the venture capital arm of San Diego-based Qualcomm, has decided to invest 2 billion won or some $1.8 million in Intela, a local telecom software developer. Qualcomm Ventures was established in December 2000 in the United States with an initial capital of $500 million and it has since been investing in new startups in a bid to vitalize eco-systems in telecommunications industries. Intela is the third Korean firm that’s received financial support from Qualcomm after Kiwiple, an application developer for smartphones and Pulsus Technologies. Intela is a developer of algorithms for use in telecommunications. It provides digital solutions which are essential for exterior and interior wireless telecommunications systems in buildings. Wireless chip giant Qualcomm formed an alliance with SoftBank of Japan and My Ventures Technologies for its latest strategic investment, said Kim Seung-soo, the head of Qualcomm’s public relations office in Korea, Wednesday. Qualcomm expects the investment will partly help it develop advanced wireless so

Aug 22, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Core US value put to test

Samsung asks jury to back customer-is-king argument over Apple’s copycat claim By Kim Yoo-chul The customer is king and the United States is home to consumer capitalism. Now this market axiom is being put to the test in the case of Korea’s Samsung Electronics against America’s Apple in a patent dispute that is subject to a jury ruling in San Jose, California. It is also the key word for Samsung’s closing arguments. ``Samsung effectively defended against a bogus attack by Apple. As you know, this is a really difficult and complex issue. Jurors will be tough. But what really matters is that consumers are buying Samsung products. This is a consumer choice,’’ said a senior executive in a short telephone interview with The Korea Times, Wednesday. The executive, who asked not to be identified, stressed Apple is still underestimating Samsung, though the company is its biggest business partner and added the Cupertino-based firm isn’t ready to welcome a ``new market player.’’ ``More market players mean better choices. Personally, it’s hard to understand why Apple is resis

Aug 22, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

LG rolls out 84-inch ultra-definition TV

By Kim Yoo-chul LG Electronics Wednesday released an ultra-definition (UD) television with an 84-inch screen as a strategy to increase its brand awareness in the local market. It supports an advanced film-based three-dimensional (3D) technology and will sell for some 25 million won (about $22,000) via LG’s authorized local distribution channels such as BestShop, HiMart and other major department stores, it said in a statement. LG is the first to introduce the UD TV in Korea. Japan’s Toshiba earlier released its first UD TV late last year, however, the Japanese TV manufacturer didn’t introduce the TV here, because of high prices. ``This is the TV that all LG customers have dreamed of,’’ said Lee Tae-kwon, a senior LG executive handling its local marketing, in a media briefing at LG headquarters in Yeoui-do, Wednesday. Lee said some 70 sets have so far been sold since LG received pre-orders last month. ``Price is just a small thing for big customers as they give more credit to distinguished values,’’ the LG executive said. ``The number of people with more than 1 billi

Aug 22, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Split decisions on Samsung-Apple fight?

By Kim Yoo-chul There are two decisions coming in the patent disputes pitting Samsung Electronics against Apple. In Seoul, a delayed court ruling is scheduled for Friday, which will be followed by a ruling by the jury in San Jose, Calif. ``I think the decision will be different in each country. When we talk about design, this is more about superficial and artistic feelings. If the U.S. jury favors Apple, the Korean court could be different in its ruling,’’ said Yoon Seon-hee, a law professor at Seoul’s Hanyang University. Concerning strategy, Chung Woo-sung, a patent attorney, said, “Samsung will continue its legal fight, irrespective of who wins, because it is the leader of the Google Android community.’’ He added that Google is closely collaborating with Samsung in the legal tussle. In the next round, another patent attorney Chung Dong-joon said Samsung is likely to pin its case on former Apple designer Shin Nishibori’s testimony. Judge Lucy Koh had refused to accept Shin’s previous testimony but, if it goes to a new round, there is a chance that Shin’s claim t

Aug 21, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Facebook waning

Growth stalls with diminishing interest from corporate clients By Kim Yoo-chul The information and technology (IT) market is a competitive, highly volatile place where adaptability to changes is the key to survival. Late responses mean imminent blowback. Former handset giant Nokia fell in the market after it failed to accept the industry’s new wave of mobile platforms ignited by Android and iOS. Yahoo also is no longer a major Web search company as it failed to catch up with Google. Now, the world’s biggest social networking service (SNS) firm Facebook with more than 1 billion clients has seen a steep fall in its stock price, and concerns are growing that it will eventually be phased out in Korea. ``Facebook is resisting changes. If it sticks to its current business model, then the destiny of the service will be exactly the same as Nokia and Yahoo in the next four years,’’ said an official from the Korea Software Industry Association (KSIA) by telephone. The remarks echoed the grueling business momentum of the SNS service in the United States. Facebook shares, w

Aug 21, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Samsung can’t afford to lose Apple fight

By Kim Yoo-chul Samsung Electronics is prepared to take the ongoing court battle with its biggest client Apple to the U.S. Supreme Court because it regards continuation of the dispute as inevitable. The two sides failed to reach a compromise despite mediation talks ordered by U.S. federal Judge Lucy Koh who is presiding over the biggest technology industry dispute in history. Closing arguments are set for Aug. 21 and each company will have two hours to make their case with a ruling due Aug. 25. A jury will decide the verdict. Meanwhile, the Korean company is busy preparing its ``Plan B.’’ For Samsung’s top decision makers, Apple is the ``right target’’ to inspire and encourage its employees before seeing another corporate transition, lowering the possibility of it opting for comprehensive cross-licensing of patents in the near future. ``There had previously been doubts about whether we could defeat Sony and Nokia. But we did. The key point is that Apple still underestimates Samsung. This is intolerable,’’ said Corporate Strategy Office Chief, Choi Gee-sung in a meeti

Aug 20, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Kim Yoo-chul

Read more

Apple's design claim rejected

Qualcomm to offer chips for LG smartphones

LG to mass-produce flexible displays

Will US jury protect Apple out of patriotism?

Qualcomm to invest $1.8 million in Korea

Core US value put to test

LG rolls out 84-inch ultra-definition TV

Split decisions on Samsung-Apple fight?

Facebook waning

Samsung can’t afford to lose Apple fight

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