The Korea Times

Why is Apple’s iPhone 4S fast losing luster?

Public anticipation for version 5 and complaints about some functions are key reasons By Kim Yoo-chul The iPhone frenzy in Korea may be fading as consumers reject Apple’s iPhone 4S for hardware-related problems and opting for handsets that support Long Term Evolution (LTE). SK Telecom and KT, the local authorized sellers of the Apple phones have received order cancellations and actual sales of the Apple devices remain low, according to officials familiar with the matter. This is in contrast to the United States, which marked over 4 million sales within three days of the phone’s release. SK Telecom and KT have reportedly reached 300,000 in combined sales of the new Apple handset after pre-orders opened weeks ago with unexpectedly high traffic temporarily causing the companies’ websites to crash at one point. ``That’s not true. The actual sales were below 150,000. As people made pre-orders with both SK Telecom and KT, as well as a certain local carrier’s policy to allow one customer to order a maximum three of the iPhone 4S, the numbers were out of control,’’ said

Nov 23, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Samsung needs more time to unveil ’Google TV’

By Kim Yoo-chul Samsung Electronics is generating massive buzz for its upcoming Internet television based on Google’s smart TV platform. And just as in smartphones, the Korean technology giant finds Apple as its main rival. Samsung, the world’s largest flat screen television maker and runner-up handset vendor, is one of the many television manufacturers that are developing products that run on the Google TV platform. However, technology enthusiasts will have to wait a little longer than they anticipated for a glimpse at the new television as Samsung says it doesn’t plan to unveil it at the next Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas as previously rumored. ``We are in our final stages of talks with Google over releasing our version of a Google TV. The product will be revealed next year for sure but not at the CES in January, although we would probably be able to comment on the release date in Las Vegas,’’ said Yoon Boo-keun, chief of Samsung’s television business. Yoon, a right-hand man of Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung, stressed that the company’s new television will

Nov 22, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Qualcomm vows commitment

Chipmaker partners Kyobo in e-book reader, talks with Samsung, SKT By Kim Yoo-chul Qualcomm is eager to spread its business tentacles in Korea. Its involvement in developing an e-book reader tailored for Korean customers is just a dot in the bigger picture pursued by the San Diego-based chip giant, according to its CEO. Paul Jacobs, the charismatic Qualcomm chairman, was in Seoul Tuesday to unveil a new digital reader it developed with Kyobo Book Center, the country’s largest book retailer. The device is the first in the world to include Qualcomm’s Mirasol technology, which is designed to feature vibrant colors in sunlight, thus eliminating a key flaw that has plagued conventional e-book readers. Jacobs, who also gave the green light to a plan last year to establish a Korea-based research and development center, said the company continues to seek business opportunities with partners here, although declined to comment specifically on the details or cost of projects currently in the pipeline. Meeting with Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chairman Choi See-joon

Nov 22, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

LG Display sees dramatic turnaround next year

CEO Kwon expresses confidence about ‘smart’ displays, OLEDs By Kim Yoo-chul LG Display, the world’s biggest flat screen maker by shipments since the third quarter of this year, is aiming for a rapid business turnaround from next year propelled by rising calls for its advanced and premium displays from technology companies. Although a slump in global demand for LCD-embedded digital devices was threatening LG’s bottom line this year, the company’s chief executive Kwon Young-soo still has big hopes for an upturn in its display-making business amid moves to adopt LG’s in-house 3D-viewing and IPS-oriented displays. ``Since this year, consumers were passive on either buying or upgrading their electronic products with the economic situation clouded by increased uncertainty and financial volatility. But such idling demand will recover from the year-end at the earliest or from early next year,’’ said Kwon. LG reported its biggest-ever quarterly losses of 492 billion during the July-September period this year mostly due to plunging panel prices amid weak demand. For display

Nov 22, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul

Opinion

FTC chief acts as if Twain’s man with hammer

By Kim Yoo-chul Mark Twain once famously said that, ``to a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail,’’ and there is no better way to describe the behavior of the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) in the past year. Newly assigned as the Lee Myung-bak government’s key anti-inflation tool, the fair trade watchdog has been swinging away at corporate Korea, throwing around anti-competitive charges and bullying companies from raising the prices of their products and services. But following their loud investigation and comments with subdued action, the FTC is quickly developing an ``all bark and no bite’’ reputation. One of the problems has been the agency’s loose criteria for granting leniency to law-breaking firms, which critics say comes at the cost of credibility and respect. It’s easy to understand the underwhelming expectations as the FTC declares it will get behind the allegations of anti-competitive behavior by banks and credit card companies, which have been accused of profiteering in a dismal period for industries and families. In opening an investigati

Nov 21, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Irdeto brings latest security portfolio

By Kim Yoo-chul Irdeto, a Netherlands-based software security and media tech firm, is tapping the Korean market with its latest security portfolio ― ActiveCloak. Korea is the world’s most-wired society with Internet penetration reaching over 93 percent. Ironically, the nation has seen illegal downloads increasing. Consequently mobile security is one of the top concerns for policymakers. Irdeto claimed that its ActiveCloak system is an improved security solution for media content based on the so-called dynamic security. The company said the security solution is more than effective to protect media content on open platform devices such as tablets and smartphones. The number of smartphone users in Korea has surpassed 20 million. ``Our ActiveCloak is the right solution so long as to improve the global digital content market, which we see as vulnerable to hacking and there is rampant illegal downloading,’’ said Daniel Thunberg, vice president for marketing and sales of Irdeto’s Asia-Pacific rim, in a press conference held at a Seoul hotel. ``In particular, its introduct

Nov 17, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

LG Hausys aims to expand market in Russia

By Kim Yoo-chul LG Hausys, Korea’s biggest construction and decorative materials firm, is optimistic about growth potential in Russia. Mostly due to Korea’s prolonged slump in the construction area, companies such as LG Hausys have sought business opportunities offshore markets including Russia. As part of its growth strategy, talks are underway to build LG’s first manufacturing plant, there, although it remains a long term goal. ``Together with China, Russia is a strategically-important market for LG Hausys. We are channeling more resources there in a bid to bolster our presence,’’ Lee Dong-joo, head of LG’s public relations office, said Thursday. Lee said the company will build a manufacturing plant in Russia in accordance with its expansionary plans, however, the details have yet to be decided. LG is more customized for its clients in Russia and several former Soviet-bloc countries, according to officials. In a statement, LG said it has invited some 50 buyers from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, as well as Russia to inspect LG’s key facilities in Cheongju, Nor

Nov 17, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Hynix wins $12 bil. lawsuit against Rambus

By Kim Yoo-chul Hynix Semiconductor, the world’s No. 2 memory chipmaker, has claimed victory against American chip designer Rambus after a decade-long patent battle. Observers say this is an impressive milestone for Hynix, allowing it to sell its computer memory chips used in almost all consumer electronics products in its most critical North American market free from royalties. A court in San Francisco rejected allegations by Rambus that Hynix, along with Micron Technology, conspired to prevent Rambus chips from becoming the industry standard. Rambus had insisted that Micron and Hynix manipulated the prices of memory chips, in violation of California’s antitrust law. It has been asking Hynix and Micron to pay $3.95 billion in royalties. Under California law, the amount of antitrust damages could have tripled to $11.9 billion, according to jury findings. The battle was a huge financial win, as the prize or penalty would have dwarfed all three companies’ normal business income. Nine of 12 jurors ruled that Micron and Hynix didn’t plot to interfere with Rambus bus

Nov 17, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Samsung back on MandA market

By Kim Yoo-chul Tech giant Samsung is approaching ``untouched territories’’ for further corporate expansion by more actively seeking acquisitions in non-memory businesses. As previous such attempts failed to yield positive results, Samsung had been passive for a period, according to Samsung officials. In 2008, the Suwon, Gyeonggi Province-based Samsung, which has made no major acquisitions in its 41-year-old history, dropped an unsolicited $5.9 billion offer for the U.S.-based flash memory card maker SanDisk and the withdrawal was deemed the end of Samsung’s ambition. Having since recovered, Samsung is returning to international M&A markets with a smaller appetite. On Wednesday, Samsung said it has acquired the U.S.-based healthcare equipment maker Nexus, the first since gaining a local medical equipment maker last year. ``We can’t unveil the deal amount, however, it’s true Samsung bought the American equipment maker,’’ said Lee Seung-jun, a spokesman for Samsung Electronics. A senior Samsung executive, who declined to be identified, also said Samsung Electro

Nov 16, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

SK Telecom gains more LTE momentum

By Kim Yoo-chul SK Telecom, the nation’s biggest telecom operator, is seeing an uprising momentum in the 4G network business, which is regarded as the next-generation telecom service. SK Telecom is focusing on the transformation of its business to long-term evolution, or the LTE platform, because the top carrier believes that this transformation is lucrative and has the potential to be a major differentiator in the high-growth Android market. ``We don’t have any big questions that 4G-based LTE will become the dominant competitive technology in the mobile industry by the end of 2012,’’ said company spokeswoman Kim Ji-won. SK Telecom, which has started its LTE service in July, released various billing packages for LTE phones and has been selling Samsung’s LTE-equipped models from October. ``The company is running various promotional events including the deduction of registration fee by more than half and the addition to use more data-downloading services,’’ said Kim. South Korea had more than 20 million smartphone customers as of the end of the first week of November

Nov 14, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul

Kim Yoo-chul

Read more

Why is Apple’s iPhone 4S fast losing luster?

Samsung needs more time to unveil ’Google TV’

Qualcomm vows commitment

LG Display sees dramatic turnaround next year

FTC chief acts as if Twain’s man with hammer

Irdeto brings latest security portfolio

LG Hausys aims to expand market in Russia

Hynix wins $12 bil. lawsuit against Rambus

Samsung back on MandA market

SK Telecom gains more LTE momentum

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