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Fusion energy device sets a record by running for 20 seconds
A Korean fusion device has set a record by running for 20 seconds at 180 million degrees.
Tesla's Model 3 under investigation in South Korean safety probe
South Korea has launched a safety probe into Tesla, focusing on braking and steering systems including Autopilot.
South Korea's self-isolation app had a serious security flaw
More than 160,000 people have downloaded the app designed to help arrivals to South Korea stay in quarantine.
South Koreans can now store their driving license on their smartphones
South Koreans can use their smartphone as official ID.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch Active 2 gets blood pressure monitoring
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 just got even more useful.
South Korean cafe uses robotic baristas to comply with social distancing
A cafe in Daejeon, South Korea, is using robots to prepare drinks and deliver them to customers.
Samsung gets approval for Galaxy Watch Active 2's ECG, but only in Korea
Samsung has received approval for the Galaxy Watch Active 2's ECG feature, but only in South Korea so far.
LG finally takes the wraps off its mid-range Velvet smartphone
LG has finally officially launched its new Velvet flagship phone.
Samsung's display business will stop producing LCD screens this year
Samsung Display will stop producing liquid crystal display (LCD) panels in China and South Korea at the end of the year in order to concentrate on the new generation of "quantum dot" (QD) screens, Reuters reports. Any LCD orders made before the end of the year will still be fulfilled. Samsung made its plans for QD tech known last year, when it announced its $11 billion investment into a plant capable of manufacturing true QLED TV screens that self-illuminate. Traditionally, Samsung's quantum dot LCD tech puts LED backlights behind a filter (so the display doesn't match up to the likes of say, LG's OLED TVs), but research at the end of 2019 helped mitigate some development problems, such as burn-in. Samsung's forthcoming QD tech instead relies on indium phosphide instead of toxic cadmium, and has a lifetime of up to a million hours. The multi-billion dollar investment will take place over five years and will see Samsung convert one of its existing South Korean LCD lines into a facility to mass produce these screens. Falling demand for LCD products and a manufacturing supply glut means Samsung is obviously looking for new avenues, so for the company to essentially do away with a tried-and-tested technology and go all-in on another suggests that QD screens are very likely to feature in our viewing futures.
The surveillance profiteers of COVID-19 are here
Our worlds are so upside-down and backwards right now that Wired claims Surveillance Could Save Lives Amid a Public Health Crisis, and privacy activist Maciej Cegłowski flat-out stated We Need A Massive Surveillance Program.
LG Display halts work at phone screen factory after coronavirus infection
Samsung isn't the only Korean tech giant grappling with coronavirus infections. LG Display has temporarily halted work at a smartphone screen factory in Gumi, South Korea after a bank worker near the facility tested positive for COVID-19. The company expected to resume production on March 3rd, but didn't say what kind of effect it expected the closure to have on phone output.
Hulu will exclusively stream the Oscar-winning ‘Parasite’
If you didn't get the chance to see Parasite in the lead-up to its historic Best Picture win at this year's Academy Awards, not to worry. Hulu says it will start exclusively streaming the movie on April 8th.
Samsung temporarily shuts down phone factory following coronavirus case
Samsung's coronavirus problems extend beyond people steering clear of phone stores. The company has closed a phone factory in Gumi, South Korea until February 24th after confirming that a factory worker was infected with COVID-19. The company told the worker's associates to self-quarantine and will test them for the virus, and will also keep the relevant floor closed until the 25th.
Samsung offers at-home Galaxy S20 trials to mitigate impact of coronavirus
As the spread of coronavirus continues to keep people in quarantine and threaten promotional tech events, companies in Asia gearing up for low sales -- but Samsung's new home visit service aims to mitigate some of this fall out. Reuters reports that the company is offering a smartphone delivery service to allow customers to test its new products without having to visit a physical store.
Samsung's first 5G tablet goes on sale in South Korea
Samsung has followed through on its plans to release a 5G tablet, and... it's exactly what you'd expect. The tech giant has introduced a Galaxy Tab S6 5G in South Korea that really is just the standard Galaxy Tab S6 with a 5G modem (the Snapdragon X50, if you're curious) thrown in. You'll still find a Snapdragon 855 chip, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a 10.5-inch AMOLED screen alongside features like the S Pen, the DeX desktop and Dolby Atmos-capable speakers. It's just that you now have an extra-fast data link for everything from live 4K broadcasts to "massive streaming games."
Thieves took $49 million in Ethereum from a crypto exchange
The string of recent cryptocurrency thefts isn't stopping any time soon. South Korean crypto exchange Upbit has confirmed that 342,000 Etherium coins, worth about $49 million, were transferred from its wallet to an "anonymous wallet" (read: a thief) on November 27th. The exchange quickly suspended all crypto deposits and withdrawals and moved all assets to offline wallets that couldn't be attacked. Upbit said it would "immediately" replace the missing Ethereum with its own assets, but that it would take two weeks before deposits and withdrawals would resume -- if you were depending on that virtual money, you might be in trouble.
Samsung is testing its Galaxy Home Mini speaker in South Korea
Samsung hasn't even released the original Galaxy Home over a year after its reveal, but that isn't stopping the company from offering a peek at a follow-up speaker. The company has confirmed the existence of the Galaxy Home Mini by accepting sign-ups for a public beta testing program in South Korea. Residents with Samsung phones can apply by September 1st to try a tiny version of the Bixby speaker, which matches the earlier FCC filing to a tee -- it's an AKG-tuned audio bowl with some basic controls on top.
'Mobile Suit Gundam' celebrates its 40th Anniversary with... Fila?
While we're just hours away from Neon Genesis Evangelion making its Netflix debut, a different flashback from the 90s is teaming up with an even older representative from the mecha anime genre. For the 40th anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam, it's teamed up with Fila Korea for some celebratory streetwear.
South Korea's government will switch to Linux over cost concerns
Some governments might have fallen out of love with Linux, but South Korea appears ready to start a torrid affair. The country's Ministry of the Interior and Safety has outlined plans to switch government computers from Windows to Linux due to both lower costs and a reduced dependency on a single operating system. The Ministry will trial Linux on its PCs and roll it out more broadly if there aren't any major compatibility or security issues.
Facebook sues firm for allegedly misusing app data to target ads
Facebook is trying to preempt Cambridge Analytica-style scandals with legal action. The social network has sued the South Korean analytics firm Rankwave for allegedly misusing its app data for ad targeting (thus breaching its contract) as well as failing to comply with a mandatory audit to show that it honored Facebook policies. Rankwave reportedly used data plucked from its "social influence score" app (such as post interactions and location check-ins) for its own business purposes, including consulting for marketers, rather than improving the functionality of the app itself.
