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E-book explosion appears muted

By Kim Yoo-chul Electronic book (e-book) readers were supposed to be the next big thing in the technology industry. However, the high prices of the devices and the lack of a content ecosystem seem to be sucking the life out of the nascent market. Adding to the uncertainties over the future of e-book readers are the expected emergence of competing products, such as tablet computers inspired by the success of Apple's iPad, which reads as "iPain" for companies like Samsung Electronics, which jumped early on the e-book bandwagon that is becoming squeaky. Because of the murky outlook of the market, book publishers are in no hurry to convert their existing material into e-book content, and this is resulting in a paucity of excitement among consumers. According to industry analysts, the country's e-book market will struggle to reach 50,000 sales by the end of this year, a mark that would be significantly lower than the pre-year expectations. "To me, it's simple ― I have not and will not by an e-book device. Hardly anything on the shelves seems worthy of their 300,000 won (

Aug 13, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

China stalling on Samsung, LG

By Kim Yoo-chul China, already flooded with foreign investments and keen on technology transfers, is stalling on requests by Samsung Electronics and LG Display to build LCD factories. The mood in both companies has been dampened by the delay, likely causing disruptions in their business plans. Beijing’s approval was expected by April but has been delayed. According to representatives of both firms, Beijing didn’t explain the delay. For LG, a trip by the company’s CEO together with reporters was scheduled for August but has been put on hold. Industry sources speculate that China is trying to protect its own manufacturers, while trying to favor Taiwanese firms after the two were brought closer through an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). Taiwanese manufacturers compete with the two Korean firms in LCDs that are used in virtually all mobile gadgets. They say that China is choosing the Taiwanese firms over Korean companies in pursuit of vital technology such as in thin film transistors (TFT), while protecting its own LCD producers. Samsung and L

Aug 12, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

LG, Samsung, Daewoo worry about fallout from Iran sanctions

By Kim Yoo-chul Korean electronics firms are considering potential countermeasures that could be taken by Iran in the event Korea joins the United States to impose sanctions in retribution for its nuclear development. Samsung and LG are saying that no adverse steps have so far been taken but are waiting to see how the situation can change in the coming weeks. Creditors of Daewoo Electronics are facing prospects of a deal for a stake sale, being negotiated with an Iranian firm, not progressing. On Thursday, Samsung Electronics said it has been reviewing all options to counter possible freezing of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Iran. "Samsung currently doesn't see any negative effects in Iran due to political reasons. But we are not ruling out worst case scenarios," said Leonor Lee, a senior spokeswoman at Samsung. Lee said the world's top TV maker is still safe with cash transactions and other pending issues, though she declined to unveil the sales portion in Iran out of Samsung's total revenue. Samsung sells electronic devices and home appliances such

Aug 12, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Companies

HHI wins big solar plant deal in US

By Kim Yoo-chul Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has won a $700 million contract to build one of the world's largest solar energy plants in the United States. Companies from China and Germany also bid for the deal but Hyundai Heavy emerged as the winner. Under the deal, the company will construct two solar plants for Matinee Energy ― one with a capacity of 150 megawatts in Dragoon and the other with 25 megawatts in Cochise, both in Arizona. HHI, the world’s top shipbuilder, has been negotiating with Matinee since April. The deal is part of projects by California and Arizona for total power generation of 900 megawatts. Construction will start in September. "The deal has given us a stamp of approval as a global solar power plant builder. We expect more deals in Europe and Asia, as well as the United States," said Kim Kwang-kook, a senior spokesman at Hyundai, Wednesday. The shipbuilder will make the solar modules ― the key components for the plants ― at its domestic plant in North Chungcheong Province. Kim said it has begun expanding solar lines in the province

Aug 11, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

SKT-KT competition to hurt mobile industry

By Kim Yoo-chul Moody's Investors Service expects a more industry-wide negative impact from the fierce competition between SK Telecom and KT. "Competition among Korean telecom companies is not likely to abate any time soon, and this trend has obvious credit negative ramifications as the carriers speed up capex spending to meet the huge demand for high-speed data services," said Laura Acres, a Moody's vice president, in a recent report. The senior credit officer added an ever-rising spiral of capital expenditure and marketing costs to retain customers have obvious negative implications for profitability and cash-flow. Cindy Kang, a spokesman for SK Telecom, declined to comment about the report, Wednesday. Rhee In-won, a senior spokesman at KT, said the report was ``nothing special.’’ In detail, KT has announced that it will invest 5.1 trillion won or $4.3 billion on fixed-line and wireless networks until the end of 2014 to enjoy what the company claims is the "first-mover" advantage in the rapidly-growing local wireless sector. SK Telecom, which lags in terms of the

Aug 11, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

LG jacks up smartphone sales target to 6 mil.

By Kim Yoo-chul LG Electronics is aiming to sell 6 million smartphones this year, a senior executive exclusively said Tuesday, asking not to be indentified. The detailed sales target came at a time when LG was in "critical phase" to boost its smartphone presence. Even if it meets this target, it would account for only 30 percent of Samsung Electronics' sales. Some industry experts believe that the LG goal is ambitious, considering its late start. LG has all but been excluded from the Apple-Samsung smartphone competition, which dragged down its outlook. LG has decided to reduce its bloated mobile phone lineup by half to around 70 from last year's 145. It plans to release 20 sets of smartphones this year with 15 models being Android phones. He said that 4.2 million phones will be Android-based, while 1.8 million will use Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system, the executive said. "We can't exactly predict the market. But one thing clear is LG is heavily betting on Google’s Android operating system. The number of Android phones will be more than earlier

Aug 10, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Are Apple, Microsoft teetering?

Customers shifting to open-based Google mobile OS By Kim Yoo-chul Are Apple and Microsoft (MS) losing their foothold? Analysts and industry officials are telling The Korea Times that mobile users are opting for an open-based Google Android operating system, likely leaving the two iconic firms in the lurch. Customers shifting to open-based Google mobile OSAndroid OS is an open-based source, creating more room for content and program developers to make various applications to be used in smartphones. SK Telecom says the number of Android mobile users has exceeded 1 million in the six months since the carrier introduced Android smartphones in February. As of the end of July, Korea has some 3.1 million smartphone users with Android phones accounting for 37.5 percent share of the market. Apple's share has dropped to 28 percent for the first seven months of this year with KT selling over 840,000 iPhones since its release in November last year. Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS suffered a stalled external growth in the market. Research in Motion is also seeing sluggish

Aug 9, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
South Korea

NK seizes S. Korean fishing boat

By Kim Yoo-chul North Korea has seized a South Korean fishing boat that was apparently operating in the East Sea near the North's territorial waters, the Ministry of Unification said Sunday. The 41-ton boat, "Daeseung 55," was crewed by four South Koreans and three Chinese when it was seized. "It appears that the North Korean authorities are questioning the seven crew members," a ministry spokesman said. The vessel was towed by an unnamed North Korean patrol boat near the North's exclusive economic zone in the East Sea, late Sunday afternoon, according to South Korean Coastguard reports. The captain of the boat reported "normal conditions" around 6:30 p.m. Saturday when contacted by South Korean maritime authorities via regular radio contact. "But we lost the signal around 5:30 a.m. Sunday and later confirmed via satellite that the boat was being towed by a North Korean patrol boat heading to Pyongyang's northeastern port of Songjin," a coastguard official said. The ship, which sailed from the port of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, on August 1 was expect

Aug 8, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Hynix produces 20-nano NAND flash chips

By Kim Yoo-chul Hynix Semiconductor said Sunday that it began production of 64-gigabit NAND flash chips by applying a finer 20-nanometer processing technology, a move that is expected to pave the way for the chipmaker to regain a competitive edge in the industry. That is the third attempt to start the actual production, according to Hynix. In a statement, the company said it has also developed a NAND flash solution product by teaming up with Israeli semiconductor company Anobit Technologies. Hynix, headed by CEO Kwon Oh-chul, said the new solution is the combination of Hynix's NAND flash and controller patented by Anobit, minimizing data errors and extending the data-keeping period. The controller is the key component for NAND-put devices. Its role is handling the stable operation of NAND flash chips, while improving the stability of the overall system of NAND flash products. "The new flash memories have enhanced the production efficiency by 60 percent compared to those of 32-gigabit with 30-nanomoter technology," said Park Hyun, a senior Hynix spokesman. Park

Aug 8, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Samsung, LG in legal feud over price fixing

By Kim Yoo-chul South Korea's Samsung Electronics and LG Display, the world's top manufacturers of flat-screens, are reviewing litigation over their alleged involvement in price manipulation in the U.S. as a step to counter a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Last week, the South Korean conglomerates were sued for creating a cartel to fix LCD prices with other LCD manufacturers. The lawsuit, which has been filed in the State Supreme Court in New York County, claimed that senior executives at LCD-making companies in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan deliberately manipulated prices for LCD screens for a decade between 1996 and 2006.

Aug 8, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
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