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North Korea reportedly cuts 3G for tourists, restricts access to long term visitors
It was just a month ago that North Korea started allowing mobile internet access to visitors (while still restricting it from citizens), but now a tour group says that program has ended. First reported by North Korea Tech, a post on the Koryo Group site indicates that tourists can still purchase SIM cards for international calling, but internet access is not available, a return to its policy from January. A recent blog post from the 22nd goes into more detail, explaining that 3G Koryolink access for foreigners "has been restricted to long term visitors/residents of Pyongyang only." With no word from the government on the policy change you'll have to insert your own reasoning, although we imagine Eric Schmidt is not pleased. [Image credit: Jean Lee, Instagram]
Instagram, Twitter posts begin to flow from North Korean 3G network
This week, tourists (and at least one reporter) visiting North Korea began accessing the web directly from their smartphones, through the country's Koryolink 3G network. Associated Press journalist Jean H. Lee has been tweeting from Pyongyang since Monday, though she didn't get around to detailing the service until yesterday. Her tweet, "Hello world from comms center in #Pyongyang," is believed to be the first to come through the new wireless data service, which can be activated for the princely sum of €75 (about $100). From there, data rates range from €150 for 2GB to €400 for 10 gigs, according to a DailyNK report. (Those tariffs should come as no surprise to DPRK visitors, who often shell out thousands for week-long tours that include meager accommodations and constant monitoring.) The Koryolink network, which was built in cooperation with Egypt's Orascom Telecom, marks a radical shift in policy for North Korea, which also recently began to allow tourists to enter the country with their own cellphones -- previously, visitors were required to hand over the devices upon landing in Pyongyang. With the exception of approved users (certain government officials, we presume), North Korean residents remain offline, however. For those authorized, access may be pricey, but considering that connectivity can provide peace of mind to travelers and their families at home, a data-enabled SIM seems a worthwhile acquisition for anyone visiting one of 3G's famous final frontiers.
North Korea to grant mobile internet access to visitors, but not citizens
In just a few days, visitors to North Korea will be able to surf the web from 3G-enabled devices. According to the Associated Press, customers of telecom company Koryolink living in Pyongyang received word that the firm will launch a 3G internet service exclusively for foreigners no later than March 1st. While citizens of North Korea have access to things including MMS, video calls, and a subscription to the state-run newspaper over 3G, a connection to the global internet will remain exclusive to a small, approved slice of the population using broadband. Foreigners will be able to purchase a monthly service plan for use with a USB modem or their very own SIM card. It's hard to say if Eric Schmidt's trip nudged the country and the service provider to change their tune, but in any case we're hoping Señor Schmidt will consider visiting Cuba as well. [Image credit: (stephan), Flickr]
Google's newly detailed North Korea maps offer a peek into an isolated land
North Korea has yet to welcome the internet with open arms despite Eric Schmidt's visit, but the internet is certainly welcoming North Korea: as of a sweeping update, Google Maps touts detailed cartography of the secluded state rather than the voids we've known before. The results still leave significant blank spots, although that's forgivable when Google Map Maker is virtually the only option to improve accuracy. We doubt a suspicious government is about to let Street View cars run freely on Pyongyang's streets when visitors can't even get mobile internet access, after all. Google already plans to patch those holes in a timelier fashion by incorporating future Map Maker changes as soon as they're proven accurate. While many of those covered by the update might never see it for themselves, Google's work at least paints a more complete picture of the world for the rest of us.
North Korea allows tourists to rent phones or SIM cards, but doesn't include internet
North Korea (which recently added Google's Eric Schmidt to its guest book) will begin loosening its restrictions on foreign cellphones, allowing any arrivals to either pick up a rental phone or SIM card from service provider Koryolink. With a rental booth already set up in Pyongyang airport, you'll be able to dial out to numbers abroad, foreign embassies and international hotels. However, the SIMs (priced at around $67) won't allow you to call locals, nor will they offer any internet data -- not even EDGE. Apparently, providing data to the rental SIMs in North Korea wouldn't be a technical issue, but is dependent on whether it's granted approval by the DPRK government. Image credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons
Google boss suggests North Korean government should embrace the internet
Speaking to reporters in Beijing airport after his trip to Pyongyang, Google's Eric Schmidt has expressed bewilderment at the fact that North Korean citizens still aren't hooked up to the web. He pointed out that the government could retool its 3G mobile network to provide access to the outside world and said "it would be very easy for them to turn that on." Then he flew home.
North Korean media reports North Koreans love North Korean tablet
Remember those futuristic PCs we reported North Korea was producing last year? Well now the Democratic People's Republic has unveiled a seven-inch flagship tablet called the Achim (Morning). Understandably, we don't know what's inside this 0.66-pound (300g) device with a five-hour battery life, but it's apparently very popular with local students. There's no word on the OS either, but a touch-friendly build of the homegrown Linux variant Red Star would make sense. Although unconfirmed, sources suggest internet connectivity is wholly absent, with a pre-loaded selection of fun, state-approved content available instead. Eager to get your hands on a Kim Jong-unPad? Well, you can't.
North Korea makes using a cellphone a war crime during 100 day mourning period
Dear Leader may have blessed his subjects with the gift of 3G in 2008, but in his death he is taking it back... at least temporarily. As part of the country's 100 days of mourning, cellphones have been banned within its borders. If you're caught pulling out a portable to make a call, send a text or get directions to the nearest statue of the departed dictator you'll be charged as a war criminal -- that means serious time in a labor camp or death. Fun! Then again, in a nation where the average income is about $1 a month and cellphone ownership is a highly restricted privilege, we can't imagine too many people have anything to worry about. Sadly, this also means there's one less way to get information out of the already hard to crack territory.
North Korea apparently pumping out state-sponsored PCs (updated)
North Korea has already made its mark on the tablet market -- albeit a rather unimpressive attempt -- and even produced a supreme leader-approved OS, and now the DPRK is further proving its tech ambitions with the production of three different PC models. In a post published to PCWorld today, Martyn Williams reports on a March 10th state TV broadcast that revealed a North Korean factory where workers are busily assembling the machines by hand. According to Williams, the models in production include a desktop PC and a netbook-sized laptop, designed for educational use. The third variant, an enterprise laptop, boasts dual USB ports, internet connectivity, and two and half hours of battery life. That's about it in the way of specs, but from what we've seen, we doubt these machines are set for world domination. For a series of screen shots from the broadcast, check out Williams' blog at the coverage link below. Update: Surprise! The North Korean netbook, pictured above left, is an identical clone of $99.99 Sylvania model sold at CVS pharmacies in the US, both presumably sourced from the same Chinese OEM.
North Korea gets a PDA befitting its Dear Leader
The DPRK's not exactly the world's healthiest economy. So it's with some surprise that we're now presenting you with North Korea's newest (only?) touchscreen slab. Apparently, it's available "in all the computer shops" and is being touted locally as something of a big deal by a Russian blog operating within Pyongyang. Unfortunately, it's void of any radios of any kind -- no GPS, no WiFi, no cellular, no Bluetooth. So really, it's just an old school Windows CE (judging by the icons) PDA with an electronic dictionary, map of the country, games, media player, and word processor. It also features a handy stylus for poking about the resistive touchscreen and to identify enemies of the state in a crowded room. The high-end 8GB model with microSD slot is said to cost $140 in a country where the average worker is estimated to earn about $1 per month. And here we thought that our gadget addiction was bad.
Charlie Miller and Kim Jong-Il could pwn the Internet with two years, $100 million
Well there's one thing we can say about Charlie Miller -- he sure is an ambitious rascal. When not busy exposing security holes in OS X, our fave security expert (aside from Angelina Jolie in Hackers, of course) has laid out a shocking expose based on the following premise: if Kim Jong-Il had a budget of $100 million and a timeline of two years could North Korea's de facto leader (and sunglasses model) take down the United States in a cyberwar? It seems that the answer is yes. Using a thousand or so hackers, "ranging from elite computer commandos to basic college trained geeks," according to AFP, the country could target specific elements of a country's infrastructure (including smart grids, banks, and communications) and create "beacheads" by compromising systems up to two years before they pulled the trigger. Speaking at DEFCON this weekend, Miller mentioned that such an attack could be carried out by anyone, although North Korea has a few advantages, including the fact that its infrastructure is so low tech that even destroying the entire Internet would leave it pretty much unscathed. That said, we're not worried in the least bit: if the diminutive despot brings down the entire Internet, how is he ever going to see Twilight: Eclipse?
South Korea enlists armed sentry robots to patrol DMZ
South Korea has been working on deploying armed sentry robots along the border with North Korea since at least as far back as 2006, and it looks like it's still keeping at it. While complete details are a bit light, they country apparently put a pair of new sentry robots in place in the Demilitarized Zone last month, which pack both a machine gun and a grenade launcher to ward off intruders. Those would of course be controlled by humans, but the robots apparently use heat and motion sensors to do all the monitoring on their own, and simply alert a command center if they spots a trespasser. Of course, they are still just in the testing phase, and the military says it's waiting to see how things work out before it begins a more widespread deployment. Update: According to Stars and Stripes, the gun-toting robot in question is a Samsung Techwin SGR-1 (now pictured above). If the video after the break is any indication, South Korea certainly seems to have made the right choice.
North Korea's Red Star OS takes the 'open' out of 'open source'
You know, Tux always seemed so harmless... little did we know that he is actually a Che Guevara-type figure who's been traveling around the world, fighting the good fight on any number of fronts. First, Cuba announces its national Linux variant, Nova, and now? Red Star is North Korea's very own Linux-based operating system, featuring a desktop very similar to Windows -- but for the red star that replaces the Start button. It first came to light when Mikhail, a Russian blogger living in Pyongyang, picked up a copy for $5 near Kim Il-sung University. The install disk apparently features a quote from Kim Jong-il about the importance of an operating system "compatible with Korean traditions," and the system requirements are a Pentium III 800MHz with 256MB RAM and 3GB hard drive space (North Korea's version of Minesweeper must take up a lot of room). Of course, this bad boy has Firefox -- except here it's called My Country, and it will only connect you to something called "My Country BBS," a web portal on North Korea's own (restricted) version of the Internet. Where will the plucky penguin turn up next? We don't know, but we bet it'll be one hell of a ride. %Gallery-87381%
North Koreans love their spotty cellphone service
It's been nary a year since the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (aka "the North") got its very own 3G network, and now the Daily NK is reporting that -- no surprise -- cellphone use has taken the capital by storm. "Demand for mobile phones has been increasing" said one source. "Almost 30 percent of Pyongyang citizens seem to be using them." Still, this is the same country that refers to Kim Jong-Il as "Dear Leader," so while things are certainly looking up for Pyongyangites, there are any number of restrictions. For instance, not just anybody with disposable income can pick up one of these things -- the devices are still off-limits to cadres in the Central Committee of the Party and foreigners. In addition, using two phones simultaneously is illegal, as well as using a phone in someone else's name. And you thought the T-Mobile store was a pain in the ass? When an individual or a group of workers buy a phone, they must get a stamp from their home village, and then submit an application to the Communications Center -- all this for the privilege of having the government listen to their phone calls. There is no word on what phone / phones are available, but we do know that one will cost you between $90 and $120. Charges are reportedly ₩3,000 (around $20) a month for eight hours of talk time, with an additional €15 (also around $20) surcharge if you go over. Service is currently only available in Pyongyang and Sariwon, but apparently the service in Sariwon "kinda sucks." So really, service is only available in Pyongyang. And you know what? If you're reading this, you're probably not in Pyongyang.
North Korea to allow limited access to "the internet" on cellphones
Looks like North Korea -- a place not known for its liberal attitudes toward communication of information -- may slowly be taking another baby step toward the 21st century. The country, which only began allowing limited access to cell phones last December, has announced that now, limited access to the internet will be available on mobiles as well. Apparently about 20,000 of North Korea's estimated 23 million citizens now have cell phones, and though there is scant detail about what the internet access will constitute, an estimated 400 million dollars was spent to construct the 3G network in the country. So while there's no real bright side to the story, at least those lucky few who can look at Kim Jong Il's official website will have a decent connection.
Orascom flips on 3G network in North Korea
North Korea can't even figure out how to sufficiently feed all of its citizens, yet Kim Jong Il and his comrades are about to read this on 3G speeds while throwing back a fifth of SoCo and catching a pirated Bollywood flick on BetaMax. Egypt's Orascom Telecom is about to flip the switch on the first 3G network in the nation, which was announced back in May. The outfit is expected to invest a staggering $400 million building it out over the next three years, thought it's expected to really only benefit the evil elite. Too bad it's easier to get out of a maximum security prison than it is to hop a flight into Pyongyang and see if this is more than some elaborate hoax to show the world how much life in the Hermit Kingdom is improving.[Via textually]
Sony, others pitted in a Japan vs. S.Korea OLED showdown
Several Japanese tech giants are teaming together today in a quest to make 40-inch and larger OLED panels for televisions. Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sharp and others will participate under a joint development project initiated by the Japanese government. All of this is of course meant to help the Japanese companies compete with South Korea's chaebols, particularly Samsung and LG, as the industry giants maneuver for an advantage over the next, next-generation flat panel technology to dominate the living room.[Via OLED-info]
North Korea gets 3G
Around these parts, mention "3G" and you'll get an earful of the latest speculation on just when Apple's retooled iPhone will be making its first official appearance. Mention the same in North Korea, though, and you're likely to get some curious glances. Until just a few months ago, the simple act of making a mobile call within the nation's borders was a crime punishable by public execution. Via hanging. Seriously. With the ban dropped, Orascom Telecom, the only such company to be allowed to open up shop there, has completed its first 3G call. The Egyptian-based carrier is still setting up its nation-wide network, with hopes of going live coast-to-coast by the end of the year. Take that, China.[Via IntoMobile]
Kim Jong Il: tiny tyrant, self-proclaimed internet expert
While a great many individuals have an (understandable) beef with North Korea's polarizing leader, there's a decent chance that even more people would scoff at his latest comment. During summit talks this week with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, Kim Jong Il called himself an "internet expert," after which we assume the entire room erupted with laughter. Granted, the guy must have some sort of outside connection to still receive his tunes and booze once the US got involved, but suggesting that "only the industrial zone" be wired for web access is questionable at best.
Kim Jong-Il's iPod, wine orders to get denied by US
If you've ever wondered what happens when you run an entire nation into the ground, bar almost every type of contact with the outside world, launch nuclear bomb tests against the orders of outsiders, and still try to order an iPod, well, now you know. North Korea's highly dodgy Kim Jong-Il will reportedly be "doing without luxuries" such as iPods, jet skis (saywha?), jewelery, designer clothes, and fine wines as the US implements an all-out ban against selling these goods to the power-trippin' leader. The nation's elite often enjoy lavish luxuries of first-world countries while the vast majority of its people are left without bare necessities, and apparently, new sanctions are trying to put an end to it. While this case has certainly been made before, individual countries were previously allowed to "make their own decisions," however the United States has now taken a stand by barring all luxury sales to Mr. Kim and his constituents -- which will probably do nothing outside of producing a sudden swell in iPod knockoff orders to the DPRK, unfortunately.[Thanks, SRW985]
