Business - The Korea Times

Microsoft cloud outage hits users around the world

A view shows a Microsoft logo at Microsoft offices in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris, Wednesday. Reuters-YonhapMicrosoft on Wednesday said it had recovered all of its cloud services after a networking outage took down its cloud platform Azure along with services such as Teams and Outlook used by millions around the globe.Azure's status page showed services were impacted in Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Only services in China and its platform for governments were not hit.By late morning Azure said most customers should have seen services resume after a full recovery of the Microsoft Wide Area Network (WAN).An outage of Azure, which has 15 million corporate customers and over 500 million active users, according to Microsoft data, can impact multiple services and create a domino effect as almost all of the world's largest companies use the platform.Businesses have become increasingly dependent on online platforms after the pandemic caused a shift to more employees working from home.Earlier, Microsoft said it had determined a network connectivity issue was occur

Jan 25, 2023

Microsoft cloud outage hits users around the world

Netmarble debuts virtual girl group MAVE:

Virtual K-pop girl group MAVE: makes its debut, Wednesday. / Courtesy of NetmarbleBy Baek Byung-yeulNetmarble's affiliate launched brand new K-pop girl group MAVE:, comprised of four virtual humans, Wednesday. The game company said Metaverse Entertainment, its affiliate specialized in metaverse-related businesses, debuted MAVE: which released its debut mini-album “Pandora's box” and single “Pandora” at 6 p.m. on music streaming services.MAVE: has four virtual humans as its members. They are SIU:, ZENA:, TYRA: and MARTY:. Along with the new album, MAVE: also unveiled a music video for “Pandora.” Virtual K-pop girl group MAVE: / Courtesy of NetmarbleNetmarble said SIU: is the leader and main vocalist, while ZENA: is the lead vocalist, TYRA: serves as the main performer and rapper and MARTY: is the second rapper.Netmarble said the virtual K-pop girl group was created based on the concept that the members come from the future in search of freedom to express their emotions. The group's name is a portmanteau of “Make New Wave,” as the girl gr

Jan 25, 2023By Baek Byung-yeul

Netmarble debuts virtual girl group MAVE:

SK hynix develops industry's fastest mobile DRAM

SK hynix's LPDDR5T mobile DRAM chips / Courtesy of SK hynixBy Baek Byung-yeulSK hynix developed the industry's fastest DRAM memory chips for mobile devices to meet users' growing demands for faster and smoother mobile experience, the memory chip maker said Wednesday.The company said its Low Power Double Data Rate 5 Turbo (LPDDR5T) mobile DRAM operates at a data rate of 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps), 13 percent faster than the previous generation called LPDDR5X, which was introduced in November 2022.The company added it used the word “Turbo” in the name of the new product to emphasize the data processing speed of the DRAM. SK hynix will begin mass production of the LPDDR5T from the second half of the year.The LPDDR is a type of DRAM that consumes less power, and is especially used in smartphones and tablet PCs. “The LPDDR5T, which operates in the ultra-low voltage range of 1.01 to 1.12V set by the JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council), is a product that not only features utmost speed but ultra-low power consumption,” SK hynix said.Given that it has

Jan 25, 2023By Baek Byung-yeul

SK hynix develops industry's fastest mobile DRAM

Rights watchdog opposes indiscriminate use of face recognition technology

A KIST researcher demonstrate the institute's facial recognition technology. Courtesy of Korea Institute of Science and TechnologyThe state human rights watchdog said Wednesday that the recent move to introduce facial recognition technology into public institutions is feared to infringe upon freedom and privacy of personal life and freedom of expression.The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) asked the speaker of the National Assembly and the prime minister to promote legislation to prevent the violation of basic rights when face identification technology is utilized in the public sector.In particular, the agency urged the prime minister to completely stop the introduction and use of real-time remote face recognition technology in public institutions and places until a bill to prevent the risk of human rights infringement by the technology is prepared.Real-time remote face recognition is a technology that compares biometric information, such as face information, with existing data to identify individuals from a long distance in a short time.The NHRCK said the technology

Jan 25, 2023

Rights watchdog opposes indiscriminate use of face recognition technology

Gov't sides with startup alleging Lotte's technology theft at CES 2023

Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee Young, right, listens to Algocare CEO Joung Ji-won's explanation about the startup's nutrient dispenser during the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 6. Courtesy of Ministry of SMEs and StartupsBy Park Jae-hyukLotte Healthcare has come into conflict with the government over its alleged stealing of a local startup's technology, which was then incorporated into one of its own products and later displayed at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month.Both companies were displaying pill dispensing machines at this year's event.The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said Wednesday night that it had sent a technology theft investigator and a lawyer to a healthcare startup named Algocare on Tuesday, as soon as the ministry became aware of Lotte Healthcare's alleged stealing of the startup's pill dispenser technology.“The experts introduced possible legal actions against the damage and governmental programs to support victims,” the ministry said in a press release. “If the victim asks us for arbitrati

Jan 19, 2023By Park Jae-hyuk

Gov't sides with startup alleging Lotte's technology theft at CES 2023

US clean energy startup tests ammonia-based fuel cell system on semitruck

This photo, captured from Amogy's website, shows the Freightliner Cascadia powered by Amogy's ammonia-based fuel cell system, during a recent test run conducted at Stony Brook University in New York. YonhapAmogy, a U.S. clean energy startup backed by Korea's SK Innovation, has successfully carried out a test-drive of a semitruck running on its ammonia-based fuel cell platform, in a scale-up of demonstrations for the next alternative renewable fuel. Amogy tested a modified 2018 Freightliner Cascadia powered by its proprietary fuel cell system that directly turns liquid ammonia into hydrogen while on board, according to press releases by Amogy and SK on Wednesday. The 900-kilowatt-hour truck was tested for several hours on the track at Stony Brook University in New York. The full charging of the fuel cell took about eight minutes. The successful testing of the truck came less than two years after the Brooklyn-based startup, founded by four Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni, first presented its ammonia power solution with the test on a 5 kW drone in July 2021. It later carrie

Jan 18, 2023

US clean energy startup tests ammonia-based fuel cell system on semitruck

Seoul gov't launches world's 1st public services platform in metaverse

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a press conference at Seoul City Hall, Monday, where he unveiled Metaverse Seoul. Yonhap Metaverse Seoul functions as library, consulting space for youth and moreBy Ko Dong-hwanPublic access to the Seoul Metropolitan Government has broadened to, literally, another dimension.The city government on Monday launched the first phase of Metaverse Seoul, an online platform where people can use public services offered by the authority. The areas of assistance are limited to administrative services, economic matters, tax and education for now. The government said it is the world's first local government-launched public metaverse service.The government launched Metaverse Seoul to further the city's rising trends of contactless lifestyles, advanced ICT and younger generations from the digital age who are now an influential mainstream of society. The cyber platform purports to realize the new definitions of “freedom, companionship and connec

Jan 17, 2023By Ko Dong-hwan

Seoul gov't launches world's 1st public services platform in metaverse

ANALYSIS Internet traffic tax or net neutrality?

KT, LG set to address network traffic issue with EU in 2023 By Kim Yoo-chulThe stunning achievement of Netflix-backed Korean drama “Squid Game” has caused a local broadband provider to file legal complaints to press the U.S.-based streaming giant to help pay for costs associated with a massive surge in network traffic.The basic rationale and core flashpoint in the legal case seen above are who should be held accountable for the rising costs of data fueled by the global streaming boom. Net neutrality is a principle that internet service providers must treat equally all data-driven content flowing through their cable networks and cell towers.In the U.S., for example, net neutrality advocates were saying keeping the internet a wide open playing field is vital for innovation and this nature has resulted in the rise of Netflix, Spotify, Facebook or YouTube.But the point of concern is that because traffic on telecom networks will continue to grow at an exponential rate as the sixth-generation (6G) network is being developed, policymakers in the EU, Southeast Asia, South America

Jan 16, 2023By Kim Yoo-chul

[ANALYSIS] Internet traffic tax or net neutrality?

Hyundai Motor's IONIQ 5 crash test shows high passenger safety performance

A collision safety performance test of Hyundai Motor's IONIQ 5 takes place at Hyundai Motor Group's Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor GroupBy Baek Byung-yeulHyundai Motor has demonstrated the safety of the IONIQ 5 as the electric vehicle (EV) crashed into a 100-ton installation at 64 kilometers per hour and the passenger seat remained intact in a self-propelled crash test, the carmaker said Sunday. The company conducted the crash safety test for the media at its Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday.In the test, about 40 percent of the width of the IONIQ 5 crashed into a wall weighing 100 tons to assess the degree of safety for passengers in the vehicle, which is similar to a moderate overlap frontal test conducted by the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).At the IIHS' moderate overlap frontal test, the 2022 year model of the IONIQ 5 earned “G” (good) rating, which is the highest rating.“Hyundai Motor Group designs vehicles equally regardless of whether the models are

Jan 15, 2023By Baek Byung-yeul

Hyundai Motor's IONIQ 5 crash test shows high passenger safety performance

LG's Tennessee factory adds dryer line to get closer to US consumers

Seen is LG Electronics washing machine and dryer manufacturing plant in Clarksville, Tenn., Jan. 9. Courtesy of LG ElectronicsBy Baek Byung-yeulCLARKSVILLE, Tenn. ― After exiting the highway northwest of Nashville, the capital of Tennessee, there is a road called LG Way named to commemorate LG Electronics' first U.S. washing machine manufacturing plant. LG opened its Tennessee factory at the end of 2018 as part of the home appliance giant's preemptive move to reduce logistics costs, tariffs and delivery times. Since then, the factory has been operating three manufacturing lines to produce front-loading and top-loading washing machines and dryers.When visiting the factory on Jan. 9, Lyu Jae-cheol, president and head of the company's Home Appliance & Air Solution (H&A) division, said LG added a new dryer manufacturing line in order to expand its presence in the U.S. washer and dryer market.“We have set up a dryer line to actively respond to premium demand by increasing local production in the U.S., the world's largest home appliance market,” Lyu said. “We will