Business - The Korea Times

CES 2026 IITP holds lecture for digital talent

The Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) held a lecture event featuring experts and industry leaders in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector at CES 2026 on Tuesday (local time). The IITP, the policy-planning arm of the Ministry of Science and ICT, has hosted the event on the sidelines of CES since the 2024 edition of the annual tech show. This year’s program, titled “Digital Youth Talent Talk Concert at CES 2026,” brought together some 300 students selected from Korea’s AI graduate schools, AI semiconductor graduate schools, university ICT research centers and other institutions receiving government support to nurture talent. Tuesday’s event focused on the importance of asking questions in the era of AI, highlighting the idea that competitiveness lies not simply in technical proficiency, but in the ability to define problems and search for new solutions. During the lecture, Carnegie Mellon University professor Kang Eun-suk spoke on what leading universities in the world are focusing on in the sector of AI, while TwelveLabs co-fou

Jan 7, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo

[CES 2026] IITP holds lecture for digital talent

Memory price hike tests game developers

The soaring price of memory chips is posing new challenges for game developers in Korea, affecting launch plans for gaming consoles and PCs and ultimately pushing up the prices gamers have to pay to play high-spec games. Multiple reports have recently claimed that the launches of next-generation consoles, including Sony’s PlayStation 6, have been delayed past their initial release windows of 2027-28 due to a shortage of memory chips and the resulting price hikes. The PC market is also facing difficulties due to the memory bottleneck. According to Danawa, a PC parts shopping platform, Samsung Electronics’ 16-gigabyte DDR5-5600 memory is now trading at around 300,000 won ($207) as of Monday, nearly six times higher than the 51,000-won level seen between December 2024 and January 2025. As soaring demand for artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators pushes the world’s top three memory makers — Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Micron — to concentrate on advanced AI-specific products such as high-bandwidth memory, production of conventional dynamic random access memory has been sca

Jan 7, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo

Samsung Display, Intel jointly develop energy-efficient OLED technology

Samsung Display said Wednesday it has developed a new technology with U.S.-based Intel that significantly reduces the power consumption of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, enabling longer battery life for laptops. The wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics said the SmartPower HDR technology allows laptop users to enable high dynamic range (HDR) mode, which can reduce power consumption by up to 22 percent compared with previous OLED displays. The HDR technology allows displays to deliver vivid images through brightness optimization. "Unlike conventional HDR modes that apply a fixed high voltage regardless of the content type causing unnecessary power loss, SmartPower HDR dynamically adjusts voltage based on the characteristics of the displayed content," Samsung Display said in a release. In detail, the technology allows users to save power by up to 22 percent when carrying out general tasks, such as web browsing, and by up to 17 percent when playing high-resolution videos or playing games. "As artificial intelligence (AI) PCs become more widespread, the new technology

Jan 7, 2026By Yonhap

Samsung Display, Intel jointly develop energy-efficient OLED technology

Korean multipurpose satellite deployment delayed again amid Italian project setback

The planned deployment of Korea's latest multipurpose satellite, Arirang 6, has been delayed again amid setbacks in the development of an Italian satellite that was scheduled to be launched together in a single rocket, according to sources Wednesday. According to the sources, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) has received notification from France-based Arianespace, operator of the Vega-C rocket tasked with deploying Arirang 6, saying the launch will be pushed back to later than the third quarter of 2027. Sources said the delay came amid setbacks in the development of Italy's Platino 1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, which is scheduled to be deployed via the Vega-C together with Arirang 6. Experts said the delay was apparently unavoidable, as the Vega-C rocket was developed by Italy and thus, the launch schedule would likely prioritize European project timelines. The 370 billion-won ($255 million) Arirang 6, whose assembly was completed in 2022, was originally scheduled to be launched from Russia that year, but Korea commissioned Arianespace as the new launch operator in

Jan 7, 2026By Yonhap

Korean multipurpose satellite deployment delayed again amid Italian project setback

CES 2026 Ceragem showcases AI-powered wellness home

Health care equipment maker Ceragem will introduce its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart home, Alive Intelligence Wellness Home, at tech fair CES 2026, which opens on Tuesday (local time) in Las Vegas. At the show, the firm plans to showcase its latest vision for home health care, which turns the home itself into “an integrated health management platform.” To achieve this vision, the company is introducing a residential model that links wellness devices and sensors across the home from living room to bedrooms, bathrooms and children’s rooms. It recognizes users’ routines and health status, and integrates a network that tracks well-being and responds in real time, based on lifestyle patterns, biometric data and daily rhythms. The model tailors residential spaces to reflect age-specific lifestyles, from adolescence to adulthood to old age, and provide personalized care. “Through CES 2026, we wanted to show how AI can evolve beyond a tool into a living companion that understands and supports users in their daily lives,” a company official said. “Our Alive Intelligenc

Jan 6, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee

[CES 2026] Ceragem showcases AI-powered wellness home

CES 2026 Doosan Bobcat introduces AI voice control for compact equipment

Doosan Bobcat held a Media Day event during the CES 2026 in Las Vegas on Monday (local time), unveiling its next-generation compact construction equipment technologies designed to simplify equipment control, minimize downtime and adapt to challenging site conditions. At the center of its announcement was the Bobcat Jobsite Companion, the compact construction equipment industry's first voice control system powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The technology responds through voice and display interactions, allowing operators to automate more than 50 functions — including attachment settings, engine speed, lights and radio controls — by simply asking questions or issuing voice commands. Powered by the company’s proprietary large language model, the system runs entirely aboard the machine, enabling real-time responsiveness without reliance on cloud connectivity. This ensures full functionality even in remote or connectivity-limited jobsites, a critical requirement for construction environments. "Jobsite Companion lowers the barrier to entry for new operators while helping experienc

Jan 6, 2026By Park Jae-hyuk

[CES 2026] Doosan Bobcat introduces AI voice control for compact equipment

CES 2026 SK hynix unveils 16-high 48Gb HBM4

SK hynix will unveil its next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) memory solutions at CES 2026 Tuesday, showcasing its latest high-bandwidth memory (HBM) product, a 16-high 48-gigabyte HBM4, for the first time in the world. The latest memory chip is a successor to the 12‑high 36-gigabyte HBM4 that delivers a data rate of 11.7 gigabits per second. The chip development is on track to meet consumer timelines. Sixteen-high HBM4 is widely viewed as a major technical achievement, as stacking 16 layers dramatically increases manufacturing difficulty compared with 12-high products. That is because 16-high chips require thinner spacing between DRAM dies, tighter control of wafer warpage and much more precise alignment and interconnect bonding. They also require more complex thermal management. At its CES 2026 booth, the company also displayed a graphics processing unit (GPU) module equipped with 12-high 36-gigabyte HBM3E for Nvidia's latest AI server units to demonstrate how the memory operates within a real AI environment. The 36-gigabyte 12-high HBM3E is SK hynix's flagship product curre

Jan 6, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee

[CES 2026] SK hynix unveils 16-high 48Gb HBM4

Soaring memory prices push Samsung to weigh Galaxy S26 pricing strategy

Soaring memory prices are forcing Samsung Electronics to weigh its pricing strategy for the Galaxy S26 series set to debut this year, as the company decides whether to absorb the higher costs to keep an edge over rivals or instead use the surge in as grounds to raise its prices. Industry officials say the company is leaning toward a price hike, noting that DRAM and NAND prices have nearly doubled from early 2025, making price increases unavoidable not only for smartphones but also for other electronic devices. Samsung Electronics is scheduled to reveal pricing for its new laptop lineup later this month, and officials say those prices could serve as an indicator of how the company may price its upcoming smartphones. According to market tracker Omdia, the prices of 96-gigabyte Low Power Double Data Rate 5 (LPDDR5), a DRAM for smartphones, have surged approximately 70 percent from early 2025, while that of NAND flash for smartphone storage have risen 100 percent. TrendForce also assumes that this year’s smartphone bill of materials (BoM) costs — a term referring to all raw materials and

Jan 5, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo

Soaring memory prices push Samsung to weigh Galaxy S26 pricing strategy

Postmenopausal women prefer slender, bearded men over youthful or muscular types

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. A new study suggests that women’s preferences in men may shift significantly after menopause, with many middle-aged and postmenopausal women showing less interest in youthful “pretty-boy” looks or heavily muscular bodies — and instead feeling greater trust and emotional comfort toward slimmer, bearded men with a more mature appearance. Researchers from Wroclaw Medical University in Poland and other institutions evaluated the attractiveness perceptions of 122 women aged 19 to 70, according to findings published in the December issue of the international journal “Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology.” Using digital imaging, the team adjusted male facial masculinity and femininity, beard volume and muscle mass, then asked participants to rate attractiveness across different body-type categories. To help illustrate the study’s categories, one can compare them to well-known Korean actor archetypes. The first group was the “feminized face” type — similar to actors with fair skin, soft jawlines and delicate features, such as So

Jan 3, 2026By Kormedi.com

Postmenopausal women prefer slender, bearded men over youthful or muscular types

How newly revised AI Basic Act will reshape Korea's AI landscape

Korea’s recently revised Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Creation of a Foundation for Trust, widely known as the AI Basic Act, is set to take effect on Jan. 22, marking a turning point in the country’s approach to governing rapidly advancing AI technologies. The act, passed on Tuesday, tightens oversight of AI-generated content and high-impact systems while expanding support for research and startups, a move expected to reshape how companies govern and innovate in AI by combining stronger risk controls with measures to promote innovation and digital inclusion. Watermarks mandate, high-impact AI One of the most immediate changes is the introduction of mandatory disclosure for AI-generated content, requiring AI service providers — defined as entities that develop or use AI for commercial purposes — to notify users through notices or technical measures such as watermarks. The requirement is intended to curb deepfake abuses, misinformation, deceptive advertising and other misuses of generative AI technologies. The law also defines high-impact

Jan 2, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee

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