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LG Electronics recalls 45,000 LG 150 phones in Canada
Ruh roh. LG Electronics has just issued a voluntary recall of around 45,000 LG 150 phones in Canada, and for whatever reason, Bell Mobility has agreed to assist in cleaning up the mess. Of course, it probably helps that basically every single one was used by a Bell subscriber, but we digress. Reportedly, LG was "notified by one of the independent bodies responsible for the certification of mobile phones that the LG 150 mobile phone is no longer certified as meeting the Radio Standards Specifications 102 (RSS 102), Radio Frequency Exposure Compliance of Radiocommunication Apparatus," thus LG decided it best to go ahead and make this here move. Users who just so happen to be reading this while yapping on an LG 150 can hit the read link for all the pertinent exchange information, and watch out, 'cause it could implode into a furry ball of molten cuteness at any moment. Just kidding.[Via IntoMobile]
LG and Quanta settle 8-year long patent dispute
LG and Quanta have been going at it over patents for eight years now, with LG notably seeking an injunction against the importation of Quanta-built Apple, HP, Dell, and Sony laptops, and the Supreme Court ruling that LG wasn't entitled to additional royalties, but it looks like the fight's finally over -- both sides say they've come to an agreement and will now negotiate royalty rates. No further details, but we're told BMW sales near the offices of LG and Quanta's law firms just skyrocketed.
LG SteamWasher: now with allergen-reducing powers
Yeah, the SteamWasher has already found its way into a-many abodes, but LG is making said device attractive to even more individuals by adding a dose of allergen-reducing magic. Hailed as the "first washing machine proven to reduce allergens," the new units can be spotted by the unique Allergiene laundry cycle, which acts to reduce dust mites and pet dander (just to name a couple) on fabrics by some 95-percent. If you're not exactly keen on just taking LG's word for it, the machine is also certified asthma and allergy friendly by the AAFA, so yeah, there's that. Those anxious to stop sneezing every time they dress can grab one in a myriad finishes for $1,399 to $2,699, and once you've dropped that, why not pick up the matching SteamDryer for an extra $1,199 to $2,699?
LG handset chosen to lead GSM Association's "3G for All" campaign
Is the world ready for "3G for All?" LG Electronics thinks it is, as the world's fourth largest handset maker (having been just recently surpassed by Flickr-lover Sony Ericsson) scored a major coup at 3GSM last week when it was announced that one of LG's handsets will lead the GSM Association's "3G for All" campaign to make sure everyone and anyone knows that 3G is alive and well and that they should subscribe. Now. Anyway, the LG model KU250 will end up being sold for about 30% less wholesale than the typical entry-level 3G phone. The meat from LG here is that this handset, even at the lower entry price, will be very competitive with the multimedia second-generation handsets selling now. The KU250's dimensions at 15mm thick will have support from 12 global wireless carriers at the outset and was chosen from 19 handsets submitted by eight vendors. For pure GSM fans, it may be a little of a mixed bag, as the GSM Association chose a handset with a chipset supplied by Qualcomm. Hey, we're all part of the WCDMA burgeoning family, right?
Don't expect any HD-DVD's by Samsung or LG Electronics
This might be a couple of days old and not entirely unexpected, but there's no saying "I will love you forever" than taking the risk of dying with your partner. That's what Samsung has done with Sony and Blu-ray -- they're taking the deep dive together. Samsung has announced it plans to support Blu-ray 100%, never releasing or supporting HD-DVD. They also have no intention to develop the combo devices that play both formats (which is entirely possible, but for some reason, the DVD war has to continue... sigh). Korea-based LG Electronics also has sided with Sony and Samsung, stating they won't be making any HD-DVD players. Seems that it won't be the lack of movie sales that will decide the winner -- it'll be the lack of players![Thanks to those who sent this in!]
LG gets pissy at Motorola over KRZR design
In a world of 18-30 month development times for the average cellphone, it's understandable that the nerves of company executives get a little frayed when it comes to touting their latest creation. That's why we feel a degree of vague sympathy for Lee Hyoung-kun, a spokesman for LG Electronics who landed the enviable task of announcing to The Korea Times that his company thinks of Motorola's KRZR as a straight-up copy of LG's KV2300. Usually we're down with a little smack talk between companies, but this accusation doesn't leave us in an accommodating kind of mood. The point behind the whole accusation is very muddled, in particular the statement "we are very flattered that a company of such caliber followed our design policy." Besides, those 18-30 month development times mentioned earlier make copying cellphone designs practically impossible and especially unlikely for a phone we've known about for ages. LG, in future, leave the snarky digs to us, mkay?[Thanks, RandomStranger]
South Korea poised to revoke LG Telecom's 3G license
As the saying goes, "You snooze, you lose." Such is the case for LG Telecom, Korea's 3rd-largest carrier behind SK Telecom and KTF, which purchased a license to deploy 3G services on the 2GHz band in 2001 for 1.15 trillion won ($1.2 billion, give or take), but has yet to do anything with said license. According to the terms of the license agreement, the services had to be in place by the end of last month, and an advisory board has subsequently given the thumbs-up to Korea's Ministry of Information and Communication to yoink the license. LG Telecom's CEO, Nam Yong, has said that deploying 3G at 2GHz would be counter to market trends and they'd like to upgrade their 1.8GHz network instead, but it appears the heart-of-stone MIC is going ahead with the revocation nonetheless. And here's the real kicker: Korean law stipulates that any company failing to make good on a 3G rollout remove its chief executive. Oh, but don't you worry about Mr. Nam; rumor has it he'll likely land comfortably somewhere within LGT's corporate parent -- you guessed it -- LG Electronics.
LG's 1.48-mm TFT LCD
No doubt, thin is most definitely in at the mo'. Now, with some help from LG Electronics, we'll soon see a few more millimeters planed to the shop floor with the introduction of their new 1.48-millimeter sliver of an LCD. Besides being able to balance on a razor's edge for photo ops, this wee TFT panel will drop in both 2.0 and 2.2-inch formats able to handle QVGA (320 x 240) resolutions. No word on when these might appear, but we're pretty sure that Samsung's rigs won't be sporting 'em.
