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Daily Update for July 1, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
South Korea, Apple reportedly in iPhone talks
The Korea Times is reporting that Apple has been talking with South Korean based SK Telecom about the possibility of introducing an iPhone that would support its recently introduced LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network. "SK Telecom is approaching Apple to put our LTE-A technology on the upcoming iPhone 5S. We are in the middle of negotiations," said an SK Telecom executive, requesting anonymity. ... Because Korea has recently seen a huge demand for devices supporting high-speed networks, Apple intends to use Korea as the litmus test to gauge the marketability of LTE-A technology before making inroads into China, according to industry sources. The report notes that Samsung recently introduced an LTE-A-compatible Galaxy S 4 device in South Korea and that SK Telecom anticipates a number of other LTE-A-compatible devices to hit the market over the next few months. Now as for how fast LTE-A is, well let's just say that it's blazing. SK Telecom said that its LTE-A network can support data transfer rates of up to 150 Mbps, about twice as fast as LTE speeds in the US and 10 times as fast as 3G.
Samsung buys 10 percent stake in rival phone maker Pantech
Hang around these pages long enough and you're bound to come across Pantech, the South Korean purveyor of everything from giant 1080p handsets down to... giant 720p handsets. Samsung has noticed this rising star too and, so says Yonhap News, has now made a $50 million investment in the smaller company in return for a 10 percent stake. Implicit in that is that the Korean government has allowed Samsung's ever-expanding influence to infiltrate a potential rival, since Pantech is now the No. 3 phone maker in that country and only Qualcomm and a state-run bank possess larger stakes than Samsung's. As a result, the acquisition could have an anti-competitive aura to it -- but then, Pantech has actually been struggling of late, not least with large debts, and it has relied on big backers to bail it out.
PSA: PlayStation Store returns to South Korean PS3s May 16
After being taken offline last July, the PlayStation Store will finally reopen for business on South Korean PlayStation 3 units on Thursday, May 16. The service was originally removed to comply with new South Korean legislation that made it illegal for persons under the age of 18 to verify online accounts with their real name or age. As a result, use of the PlayStation Store is now restricted to users 18 and older, regardless of whether the service is actually being used to buy something. As an apology to all users affected by the months-long outage, Sony Computer Entertainment Korea is gifting all eligible users one free month of PlayStation Plus.
Server outcast in South Korea rekindles WoW community
There's a forum thread, which was posted on the US forums a few days back, where a player tells rather a sad tale. It's a translation of a thread which has caused visible shifts on Korean servers, where players are starting to change, to become more sympathetic, and to care a little bit more about others. The poster asserts that, thanks in part to separate 10- and 25-man lockouts, and far shorter raid resets, Korea's servers were growing ever more competitive and elitist. The story, much abridged, goes that, on Zul'Jin (KR), a warrior was looking for a group. He whispered the OP of the Korean community thread on the story, asking for a spot in a PuG raid the OP was advertizing. This warrior was renowned on the server for his low DPS, so low, in fact, that nobody would bring him to a raid. The OP had previously taken him to Terrace of Endless Spring, and the warrior was incredibly grateful, but the warrior's 30k DPS had meant that the OP decided against bringing him to another 10-man group. The OP's PuG raid never happened, so, as he felt bad for the warrior's situation, decided to help him. The warrior was doing it all wrong, gemming, reforging, enchanting, and as they chatted the OP was struck by the warrior's politeness and gratitude, as well as learning that the warrior was an older guy trying to escape from an unpleasant real life into WoW. The OP realized how uncommon this friendliness was in recent times, and how elitist and unfriendly the South Korean WoW community had become. He remembered that they were all noobs once, and made a post asking his fellow WoW players to be kinder, more generous, and less elitist. The result of this has reportedly been a seismic shift in South Korea's WoW community, and an outpouring of support, not to mention several blue posts on the topic. Players have even started organizing "Mentor Raids" to help others get to grips with their class and with the fights. WoW's community is one of the big things that makes the game great, the help and support and friendliness that comes out of a digital world. If you haven't read the original thread, you should. We were all noobs once.
White Samsung ATIV Smart PC launches in South Korea, remains the same inside
There's obviously something about gadgets dressed in white livery that attracts plenty of consumers, and thus it shouldn't come as a surprise to see Samsung introduce a bleached model of its own ATIV Smart PC. Unfortunately for some, however, the maker of the Galaxy line is keeping this particular launch local, with the white ATIV Smart PC set to be an exclusive to South Koreans -- well, at least for the time being. Regardless, Samsung's Windows 8 hybrid remains unchanged otherwise, meaning there's still that same 11.6-inch, 1,366 x 768 display, a 1.8GHz, dual-core Clover Trail processor, 4,800 mAh battery and 64GB of onboard storage. The frosted ATIV device is on sale now for 1,090,000 won (around $1,000) -- but, hey, because we know there are likely would-be buyers outside of South Korea, we have a gallery past the jump to show what's being missed.
In China, virtual stores may go one step more virtual
I love the concept of virtual stores. You whip out your phone and order merchandise for home delivery, typically using QR codes. We first saw these pop up when Tesco launched one in the South Korea subways. They appeared in the Prague subway system, in Sweden's Jetshop and with Toys R Us' mobile interactive virtual store initiative. Virtual stores have been spotted in Australia, Singapore, Germany, Canada and the UK. The system usually works through large posters of fake store shelves, all labeled with phone-readable codes. When you see items you desire, just point, shoot and order. Customers receive an automated message that confirms the purchase and work with vendors to iron down delivery details. Now, China is joining the virtual storefront revolution. According to Springwise, Unlimited Yihaodian plans to add ecommerce to public spaces, with a virtual virtual store experience. (Yes, you read that right.) The store will actually project over the real world, adding another layer of virtual into the virtual shopping experience. Retailers will be able to cut down on physical plant costs by skipping bricks and mortar and creating a straight path from warehouses to the consumer. It sounds like this may still be proof-of-concept project (if any Chinese readers can figure anything further out, please let us know!) but we look forward to seeing it pan out. Right now, here in Denver, it's 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Heading to a public square to play shopping games with my phone doesn't sound nearly as appealing as competitive shopping in a warm, enclosed subway. In the TUAW newsroom, we're having a debate whether this new option is more weird than cool or more cool than weird. What do you think? Drop a note in the comments and share your opinion.
The Daily Roundup for 01.01.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Motorola to pull out of South Korea in 2013, shed around 500 jobs
As part of its Google-led overhaul to become a lean and mean smartphone outfit, Motorola is pulling out of South Korea next year. Around 540 jobs will be lost, with 60-or-so staffers being offered a chance to relocate to the company's R&D departments elsewhere. It's not the first high-profile departure from the country this year, after HTC found it difficult to compete with the local superpowers -- and we can't imagine it'll be the last.
iPhone 5 to land in South Korea and 50 other countries in December
Apple continues to roll out the iPhone 5 globally and announced on Monday that the handset will land in 51 additional countries in December. The iPhone 5 will hit South Korea on Friday, December 7 and land in 50 countries, including China, on December 14 and 21. The full list of December 14 launch countries includes: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. iPhone 5 will also be available on Friday, December 21 in Barbados, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Egypt, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St.Vincent & the Grenadines, Tunisia, Uganda and Vietnam.
Cabal II preps Korean launch, rolls out new trailer
Cabal II is looking good, real good these days. The CryENGINE 3 title boasts eye-popping visuals, although we haven't gotten any face-time with the game to judge how it handles. We'll be hearing more about it soon, however, as Cabal II prepares to launch in South Korea next month. The sequel to Cabal is the first of the CryENGINE 3 MMOs and is being developed by ESTsoft. We've got a spiffy-looking trailer for you that shows off not only the game's good looks but also its many classes, from Warriors to... um, Force Bladers. Check it out after the jump! [Source: ESTsoft press release]
Civilization Online announced for Asia
Take-Two Interactive announced Civilization Online this morning for Asia, another milestone in its continental market expansion. In partnership with Korean-based studio XLGAMES, the game is being built "from the ground up" as an online-only experiences for the Asian market.Civilization studio Firaxis is mentioned as lending its expertise and vision, but the game is being created "under the leadership of " XLGAMES CEO and MMOG designer Jake Song, who helped create Lineage. A team of "more than 100" are working on the project in Seoul."Over the last four years, we have been focused on creating an ambitious portfolio of online and social games with some of the most revered companies in Asia such as Tencent in China, Nexon Korea Corporation and XLGAMES in Korea, GREE and CyberAgent in Japan," said Take-Two Asia president Hubert Larenaudie.Take-Two notes that response in the region to NBA 2K Online, which launched yesterday after months of beta testing, has been very encouraging. It hopes to find that same success with the Nexon-partnered Pro Baseball 2K and Civilization Online.Take-Two chief operating officer David Ismailer concluded today's announcement, "Civilization Online is an example of how 2K can leverage its successful franchises, beyond sports, to create entirely new experiences in genres that resonate with customers in this region."
The Soapbox: Meeting the 'Asian gamer' stereotype on common ground
I originally thought I would craft this Soapbox to discuss the differences between Western and Eastern gamers. But in my research, I ended up noticing the differences and the similarities between the two gaming cultures -- in fact, the similarities were more prominent. Yes, there are gamers who game in stereotypical ways; there are gamers from China, Korea, and Japan who are stereotypically "Asian." But Westerners can behave as stereotypes as well. The good news is that we're all blending together.
International Telecommunication Union: worldwide mobile subscriptions hit six billion in 2011
Last year, the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) told us there were five billion mobile subscriptions worldwide at the close of 2010, and now it's reporting that at the end of 2011, that figure hit a staggering six billion. China and India account for one billion a piece, and it brings us ever closer to having the equivalent of one subscription for every person on the planet. (According to the CTIA, there are already more cellular plans in the US -- around 322 million -- than there are inhabitants.) In a stat-heavy release from the ITU, it also ranked the most advanced telecoms countries, with South Korea placing first, Japan eighth and countries in Europe filling the remaining spots. Interestingly, the number of global mobile broadband subscriptions now outnumbers fixed ones by two to one, and mobile internet services showed the biggest growth rates in 2011: 40% worldwide and 78% in developing markets. The ITU attributes the latter figure to the relatively high price of fixed access in these countries, and the increasing availability of mobile alternatives. The CTIA also commented on mobile broadband use, reporting that from July 2011 to June this year, Americans consumed 104 percent more data -- no doubt due, in part, to people taking advantage of expanding 4G coverage. As usual, we've given you the cheat sheet, so if you'd like the full reports and have got a thing for statistics, there's plenty more in the source links below. [Image credit: Chris Jordan]
South Korea delays ban on iPads and iPhones until Apple can appeal
Apple and Samsung have been recreating the Cold War through their own mutually assured destruction policy, and nowhere is that more apparent than their Pyrrhic victories in South Korea. For Apple, however, the pain will be just a little easier to bear. A Seoul court has confirmed that it's staying the ban on older iPads and iPhones until Apple can complete the appeals process; the Cupertino crew won't face the full penalty unless the appeals court upholds the verdict. Samsung hasn't yet asked for a similar pause on a ban covering some of its Android devices, though, which could lead to at least a momentarily lopsided situation in Samsung's home country. It's nonetheless a brief reprieve in a war that sadly won't end anytime soon.
iPad, iPhone sales ban delayed in South Korea
Someone at Samsung must be getting very frustrated right now. Apple was facing a ban on sales of the iPhone and iPad in South Korea after a court found that those devices infringed on patents owned by Samsung. Now a Seoul court has ruled that Apple can keep the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad and iPad 2 on store shelves at least until the appeals process has been completed. On the other hand, Samsung's Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy S and Galaxy S II -- all of which are also covered by the August 24 ruling -- are still on the ban list. A Samsung spokesperson told Bloomberg that the company had "no comment" about whether it would file its own request to delay the South Korean sales ban.
Samsung announces Android 4.1 availability for Galaxy S III in South Korea
It was pretty much inevitable, and true to its promise, Samsung has announced the availability of Android 4.1 for the Galaxy S III. Now before you get too excited, it appears that the upgrade applies only to the SHW-M440S variant, which is specific to Samsung's home turf in South Korea. Nonetheless, if the translation is correct, the new Jelly Bean release is said to bring usability improvements to the home screen, along with the ability to pause movies during recording and a smart rotation feature to the camera. Samsung's Kies software is specifically mentioned in the announcement post, although it looks as if an over-the-air install may be possible as well. Hopefully this news is a sign that certification for the global model and its domestic counterparts is just around the corner.
Nexon acquires Mobage game developer gloops for $468m
Nexon shelled out ¥36.5 billion to buy gloops, a company that develops games for DeNA's Mobage network. That figure converts to an absolutely whopping $468 million. Nexon didn't stump up that much yen because they're seeking fun, but because gloops is one of the most successful makers of Japanese social games. Those games include Shibuya Quest, MLB Battle Game, and Odin Battle, and the company boasts over 10 million active players across its collection. Legend Cards has over 1.5 million players in Japan alone, while Magigate had 100,000 people playing it within just seven hours of its release.Either way, Nexon apparently has money to burn. The South Korean company, known for free-to-play MMOs like MapleStory, last year set its initial public offering on the stock market at $1.2 billion.
Nexus 7 comes to South Korea, causes price envy across the water
If Google-lovin' Koreans were a little jealous after seeing Eric Schmidt turn up in Japan with a Nexus 7-shaped gift under his arm, they needn't be. It looks like the Executive Chairman brought another one along with him on his Asian travels. It wasn't just the hardware that came along for the ride either, with The Next Web reporting that the firm also made movies available in the country's edition of Google Play. The Korean asking price will be a reported KRW 299,000 (about $267) for the 16GB edition, a smidgen less than its neighbor's (¥19,800 / $255). We suspect, though, not quite enough to warrant a ferry ride. Update: As many of you have noted, the currency conversion actually favors the Japanese price. Updated to reflect that.
Samsung Galaxy Note II launches on three carriers in Korea
Looking for Samsung's latest big phone? Get yourself over to Korea, where the Galaxy Note II has kicked off its launch "world tour" with a party in the center of Seoul. The 5.5-inch Jelly Bean superphone will be available across SKT, KT and LG U+ carriers, supporting LTE connectivity on all three, available in 32GB and 64GB storage offerings. The Galaxy Note II will eventually arrive in 128 countries -- and we're expecting a US arrival date sometime in November, on even more carriers than its Korean debut.
