LG Electronics
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LG appoints new CEO to lead its beleaguered electronics division
Starting December 1st, William Cho will take over for Bong-seok Kwon as the CEO of LG Electronics.
Toshiba / Samsung joint venture hit with lawsuit by LG over DVD+RW/RAM patents
LG Electronics has found itself at the center of quite a few patent lawsuits in recent years (both as a plaintiff and defendant), and it's now kicked yet another one off. As Bloomberg reports, LG has today filed suit against Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology, alleging that the Toshiba / Samsung joint venture violated a number of patents related to DVD+RW and DVD-RAM technology. In the complaint, LG further alleges that TSST is knowingly infringing on the patents as they were previously licensed to Toshiba itself (and TSST as an affiliate company) as part of a deal that expired in 2010. LG is asking for a jury trial to sort things out, and demanding that TSSC pay "no less than a reasonable royalty" along with some unspecified damages. You can find the complaint in full at the link below.
LG smartphone boom follows major R&D reshuffling, says analyst
South Korean electronics giant LG came out swinging with its line of Optimus products at Mobile World Congress this year, delivering the 4X HD, 3D Max, Vu and a trinity of L-series handsets. So how does one shop deliver six handsets to the public, you ask? Resources. A recent note to investors from Nomura Securities reveals that in 2011, the Life's Good gang assigned a larger portion of its R&D team to its smartphone division. The report claims that the company had 60 to 70 percent of its 8,000 person research outfit assigned to the Optimus-making arm at the end of last year. That's up from the 20 percent share of a 6,800 person staff it boasted just 365 days earlier. There's no doubt LG will be looking to steal the smartphone thunder of Samsung and HTC in 2012, but is this lineup of products enough? Only time (and sell-through figures) will tell.
LG details 55-inch OLED TV, will show off its true colors at CES 2012
While building the world's first 55-inch OLED TV panel is nice, it's not worth much unless you put an actual TV around it and LG Electronics will have the total package on display next week at CES. Today's press release reveals more about LG's "4-Color Pixel" and Color Refiner technology it's implementing to bring consistent, accurate colors that it claims will beat other OLED TV's abnormal color gamut. LG's press release doesn't mention production plans or pricing, but all of this is squeezed into a frame that's just 4mm thick with a narrow bezel and weight of 7.5kg -- we'll let our eyes decide on the quality of its colors once we meet in person.
LG seeks ban on South Korean BMW and Audi sales, sticks out its LED lit tongue at Osram
Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a world where we all just got along, people worked for the thrill of it, and knowledge was free? Yeah, fat chance dreamers. 'Sue', our new millennium's most oft-used verb, is getting some heavy play at the hands of the tech industry. The latest court room combatants? Why, that'd be LG Group and Osram. You see, once upon a time LG was late to the LED patent game, and was content to fork over the cash to Osram for use of its tech. Skip to now, and the electronics giant's claiming it can get its lighting goods elsewhere, picking from a plethora of relevant IP-holding companies and combining that with its own patents. Despite having already countersued Osram in July to prevent the import of that company's allegedly infringing products into South Korea, LG's gathered its legal arsenal once again to block the sale of Audis and BMWs throughout the entire country -- cars that include Osram's LED tech. It's hard to imagine the courts would grant such a wide-sweeping ban on major auto players' bread-and-butter. And all grandstanding aside, it's more likely the two fisticuffing parties will come to some sort of revised financial agreement.
LG Hom-Bot 2.0 Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner hands-on (video)
Smile, you're on Vacucam! LG's Hom-Bot (RoboKing in the US) was zipping around its own special playpen on the stage at the company's IFA booth today, picking up the occasional speck of dust and using its dual cams to spy on bloggers and Germans, while also diligently avoiding a plastic family dog along its ten-square-foot cube of real estate. The bot's Smart ThinQ technology enables it to interact with an Android or iPhone app, which you'll use to watch a live video feed from its built-in cam, send it rolling to a specific point in the house in "Patrol" mode, or adjust settings. You can also log in remotely, assuming your Hom-Bot is powered up and has a WiFi connection. Official US and Euro pricing and availability hasn't been announced yet, but an LG rep suggested we'll see it in the €500-700 range (about $710-995 US). Cameras and interactivity are nice and all, but that's a lot to spend on any vacuum cleaner. Today's trade show sneak peek is probably the closest we'll be getting to this pricey little vac, so roll past the break for some super action footage.%Gallery-132520%
LG launches 'RoboKing Triple Eye' smartphone-controlled vacuuming robot
You won't have to leave your post on the couch, but you will have to lift a finger to your smartphone in order to tidy up with LG's 'RoboKing Triple Eye' VR6180VMNV robot vacuum. Unlike it's purple cousin who spends his time looking inwards, this little guy is always looking outward with its three cameras, capturing video and sending it to your smartphone or PC over WiFi. The robot uses sensors to create a plan of attack map of your home, allowing you to move it around by clicking the filthiest parts. Like a well-trained puppy, the dust buster also responds to voice commands from up to 5 feet away and it doesn't even bark -- only emitting 48dB of sound while sucking up dust. Of course, laziness of this caliber doesn't come cheap, as it costs 899,000 Korean won, or around $840 bones.
LG, Sony drop patent infringement lawsuits, strike cross-licensing agreement
The testy patent battle between LG and Sony has finally come to an end, now that the companies have decided to lay down their arms and call a truce. In a statement issued today, an LG spokeswoman declared that the two parties have "agreed to drop patent infringement lawsuits against each other," adding that they've struck a cross-licensing deal on the TVs, smartphones and other gadgets in question. A Sony representative confirmed this, but did not offer further details. The spat began back in December, when Sony filed a complaint with the ITC over a handful of allegedly patent infringing LG mobile devices. The Korean manufacturer later struck back with an ITC complaint of its own, targeting Sony products like the Bravia and PlayStation 3. Now, however, the two have apparently learned how to play nice, though details on their settlement remain scarce. As soon as we have them, we'll pass them along.
Apple faces infringement lawsuit over fast booting patent once owned by LG
Apple's facing yet another patent infringement lawsuit -- this time, in Florida, where a company called Operating Systems Solutions (OSS) is taking aim at OS X's fast booting operation. According to court documents, the plaintiff alleges that Cupertino's function (most prominently displayed on this year's MacBook Air refresh) violates at least one protected claim, which details a four-step method for speedy booting, and involves files like config.sys and autoexec.bat (seriously). Interestingly enough, the patent in question was originally granted to LG Electronics, back in 2002, but is currently owned by the little-known OSS. It's still unclear whether or not LG has any involvement with the suit, but we'll bring you the details as soon as they emerge. In the meantime, you can hit the coverage link below to dig in to the full complaint. [Thanks, Lucian]
LG RoboKing vacuum bot can self-diagnose, ask for help after colliding with your Roomba
Sick of all those one-way chats with your Roomba 700? LG's got you covered with its latest self-diagnosing robotized cleaning assistant. The newest RoboKing -- the VR6172LVM -- will set you back 779,000 Won (around $730), and apparently sports a low noise 48dB design (when it's not talking, we presume). Most intriguing to us, however, is the bot's ability to run diagnostics at the press of a button, enunciating its ailments if any one of the fourteen testable components are, in-fact, broken. We imagine your carpet would be happy to welcome Robo to the family, but when you have two pets to brush and all kitty can do is meow, we surmise the vacuum will come forth as King.
LG's MeeGo smartphone and tablet prototypes to be demonstrated next month
You may have written off MeeGo handsets after Nokia all but abandoned the OS -- LG hasn't. While the company doesn't have any "definitive plans" to release a MeeGo smartphone commercially yet, LG is willing to show off some ports of MeeGo on multiple prototypes, including tablets and smartphones, at next month's MeeGo conference in San Francisco. With any luck, LG will use the spotlight to announce its intentions, proper like, and make a MeeGo handset running Intel silicon a retail reality in 2011.
LG steps into Nokia's MeeGo void (updated)
Sure, Nokia will ship a single MeeGo handset this year. But after that, MeeGo, Nokia's previous strategic smartphone platform, will be pushed into the incubation lab as the team shifts focus to future user experiences. According to Reuters, LG Electronics has stepped in to fill the void by joining a working group with ZTE and China Mobile intent on developing a handset version of the software. This, according to a member of the MeeGo technical steering group, Valtteri Halla, speaking at a developer conference today. Of course, LG was talking about MeeGo phones back in January of 2010 when it was showing off its short-lived Intel Moorestown-based GW990 (pictured above). Happy now, MeeGo fans? You should be, we certainly are. Update: LG has issued a statement meant to dampen any early enthusiasm we may have felt about an LG handset running MeeGo. According to the Reuters update, an LG spokesman says, "At this point in time LG has no definitive plans to mass produce devices with MeeGo other than car infotainment systems."
Sony files ITC complaint about LG, adds another patent infringement lawsuit to the stack
Did the world's tech giants just discover they have lawyers on retainer? That's certainly how it seems, as company after company has decided 'tis the season to target the competition with patent infringement allegations. Sony, the latest, is aiming squarely at LG, claiming that the Korean manufacturer's violating eight patents with its mobile devices -- including the LG Fathom, Xenon, Neon, Remarq, Rumor 2, Lotus Elite and VL600 LTE modem -- claiming that these devices transmit variable-bandwidth audio streams, live-preview camera snapshots, hand off cellular calls and more in ways that infringe Sony's intellectual property. Sony's now filed both an ITC complaint in an attempt to ban new product shipments from the US, and a lawsuit in federal court that will no doubt seek monetary damages. Now, if recent history is any indication, LG will turn around and smack Sony with a patent stack of its own, and we'll all go back to dreaming about LG devices we'd actually care to purchase.
LG Electronics CEO resigns in wake of waning mobile phone sales
Times are tough for top-level executives these days, from HP to Nokia and even this side of Dell. The latest in that dubious list is LG Electronics. Wanting to "take responsibility for the slack performance" (i.e. declining sales) in the handset market, CEO Yong Nam has resigned and will be replaced next month by LG International head (and member of the founding family) Koo bon-joon. Sad to see Mr. Yong after three years and nine months in the position, but on the bright side, as far as we can tell this won't have an effect on the company's upcoming Windows Phone 7 lineup.
LG's E900 and E720 handsets hit the FCC, one with AT&T-compatible frequencies
We knew LG's C900 QWERTY-packing Windows Phone 7 handset was sliding towards an AT&T finish line, but it's looking like the company's E900 slate phone might play for Team Blue as well -- here's an FCC report (the third Federal scoop in an hour!) that shows the handset boasting GSM 850 and 1900 radio frequencies as well as compatible 3G data. You can also expect Bluetooth and 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz WiFi alongside that 1GHz Snapdragon SoC when or if the handset hits US shores. We don't know nearly as much about the Android-based LG E720 (which apparently just popped in for a quick Bluetooth test) but a filing suggests it might not be destined for the US -- unlike with the E900, there's no mention of WCDMA 850, 1900, or AWS for 3G data, only the comparatively slow EDGE.
LG and Microsoft announce South Korean partnership
Korean television manufacturer LG and Microsoft have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding representing a new partnership in South Korea between the TV maker's 3D sets and Microsoft's Xbox 360 consoles, Engadget reports. A press release on the subject (wobbily translated from Korean) seems to say that the 360 will be sold in the region with 3D games in-tow and an LG 55/47LX9500 LED, possibly starting in June. Unfortunately, no details of the partnership could be confirmed with Microsoft or LG reps in the States as of this publishing. That said, a Microsoft rep told us: "As we've said before, 3D games are available today on Xbox 360 and will continue to evolve. Today, you can buy a 3DTV and wear glasses to play games like Avatar, and more titles like Batman: Arkham Asylum are on the way. The promotional partnership with LG announced in South Korea today is specific to the South Korean market, but is further evidence that as 3D adoption grows, Xbox 360 will support 3D games and entertainment." Given that statement, we don't see the partnership having global implications just yet -- not to mention the game being played above is Avatar and the two games mentioned by Microsoft are known to be 3D enabled. But hey, at least we got this hilariously awkward image of Microsoft's Alan Bowman playing games with LG's marketing strategy lead, right? [Via Engadget]
LG's 15-inch OLED TV now blowing minds in South Korea
Call Daegu home? Just over in South Korea to visit and / or infiltrate the DMZ? Regardless of why you're there, you're probably interested in picking up LG's latest, which has been tempting our retinas since IFA. Just as we'd heard back in late August, the aforesaid firm's 15-inch OLED TV is reportedly now on sale in South Korea, and it's packing a price tag of around ₩3 million ($2,598). By our count, this is just the second major, mass-produced OLED TV to hit store shelves anywhere in the world, but we're hoping to see a lot more action in this space come CES. You TV makers are listening to our requests demands, right? [Via OLED-Display]
LG uses Aion to advertise new gaming monitor
We've given Aion: The Tower of Eternity a lot of coverage over the last couple of months but you know a game is going to be big when it appears on TV. After all, just look at the star-studded World of Warcraft adverts which have been doing the rounds around the world for the last year. Now Korean electronics firm LG are using the game to advertise their latest widescreen gaming monitor, the W2363V, and if it doesn't make want to play even more, then it might make you want to buy the monitor.The rather epic advert features in-game and CG footage and was released on NCsoft's official YouTube Channel last night. Touting the W2363V as the 'secret item' which will enable players to 'beat the game' (a bit of a misnomer for an MMO), the advert is suitably fantastical in feel and score. However there's no information on the monitor's release date or price, only that the advert will be shown worldwide. Hit the jump to check out the video in all its HD glory and you might want to think about raiding your piggy bank too.
LG's Netflix-friendly 47LH50 and 50PS80 NetCast HDTVs now shipping in America
Without a doubt, the next big thing in the world of HDTVs is internet capabilities. With Toshiba just shipping its own web-enabled sets this week, LG Electronics is making sure it doesn't fall too far behind by floating a few of its own NetCast models out to the open market. Originally unveiled at CES, these HDTVs are the first from the company with built-in Netflix streaming support, and if you're curious about model numbers, it's the 47-inch 47LH50 LCD HDTV and the 50-inch 50PS80 plasma that are available today. LG tells us that the 42-inch 42LH50 LCD and 60-inch 60PS80 plasma should hit later this summer, but if you're looking to buy now, you'll have to pony up $1,999 for the 47LH50 or 50PS80.
LG sells one million 32-inch LCD TVs in Europe, celebrates wildly
We can't say for sure what exactly the model number is (strange, we know), but LG Electronics is apparently pretty awestruck and excited about moving a million 32-inch LCD TVs over in Europe. Reportedly, the set -- which was introduced last April -- is sold in 26 European countries, and with it reaching the one million mark, it sets the LG record for the most of a single set sold since it entered the sector in 1999. A company official was quoted as saying that since its debut, it has sold 100,000 per month, and that the "key was to design a luxurious model specially to meet the refined tastes of European consumers." Hear that, Europeans? Y'all are refined!
