south korea
Latest
LG's G3 A is a stripped-down version of its flagship smartphone
LG has to be pleased by the overall reception to the G3, from press and consumers alike. That said, perhaps in an effort to keep the momentum going, the electronics company just launched the G3 A, a smaller and slightly lower-specced version of its popular flagship handset, the G3. This isn't to say LG's new, 5.2-inch G3 A, which will be available in South Korea through SK telecom, is by any means a dud, as it does sport some pretty good features of its own. The smartphone comes with a 1080p screen, a Snapdragon 800 processor (2.6GHz) alongside 2GB RAM, 32GB of built-in storage, Android KitKat and, best of all, the same 13-megapixel camera found on the G3. Of course, growing the G3 family is nothing novel to LG -- the company announced the G3 Beat recently and, apparently, there's also a G3 Stylus on the way.
Vindictus previews upcoming hero Arisha
Bad news first: if you're a stateside player of Vindictus, you don't know when you're going to be able to start playing with Arisha, as she's not releasing in Korea until August 7th. You can, however, take a look at her trailer just past the break to get a sense for the character and how she fights, so that's something, at least. In play, Arisha looks to be a fast-moving character using a single blade and magic to teleport, freeze time, and otherwise tear through her opponents. Also, by the looks of it, she's got a pet dog. Take a gander at the trailer if you're interested in seeing more about the character, although you will have to wait for a while yet to play her yourself.
Apple, Google ordered to revise "no refund" App Store policies in South Korea
South Korean parents can rest a little easier tonight knowing they will no longer be responsible for unauthorized purchases their children have made. The Korea Federal Trade Commission of South Korea has ordered Apple and Google to change their App Store refund policies to make it easier for consumers to get refunds from the tech giants. Following a series of requests from a public organization called the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, the FTC moved to correct what they viewed as unfair sales policies in the respective stores. In its press release the Korea Fair Trade Commission expressed its wishes to see the ruling spread around the globe. Hwang Won-chul, the KFTC's head of Adhesion Contract Division had this to say. The FTC's corrective orders will become benchmark cases for other countries, which face growing customer complaints over unfair provisions in contracts of mobile webstore operators. According to The Korea Herald, Apple is implementing the refund changes to the store itself, while Google will create a customer refund system built on the suggestions of developers. Apple will send a notice to users when it updates the terms in its contract. On the heels of this victory, the Citizen's Coalition for Economic Justice has already set their sights on Apple once again. According to a statement by Yoon Chul-hwan of the CCEJ provided to the Korea Herald, the next target is repairs to customer phones. Currently, users are not able to get their original phones back from repair shops after they have their phones repaired. We will file a complaint against it (Apple) to see if that is also an unfair sales practice. Apple made a similar, limited offer, this past March to US App Store users. Sadly, that offer has expired.
Europe and South Korea will share their 5G know-how
There's a fine line between being fashionably late and arriving just as the party's over, which is the problem Europe suffered when it came to implementing 4G mobile networks. That's why the EU is now teaming up with South Korea to co-operate in developing 5G in the hope of getting back to the front of the line. In addition to sharing cash and know-how on developing the standard, both parties will harmonize radio spectrums to avoid the problems with roaming that were suffered in the race to implement LTE. Of course, no-one believes that a standard for 5G will be ready for at least another year, but there's a hope that maybe Europe won't be so far behind the US as it was last time.
Daily Roundup: $200 Micro 3D printer, Xbox One now shares to YouTube, and more!
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.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: WarkaWater Tower, kangaroo-like robot and an energy-generating carousel
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. The world is flooded with electronic devices, which add up to a huge e-waste problem -- but if a team of MIT researchers has its way, the gadgets of the future could be made from living cells. The team is working on hybrid materials made from bacteria that could grow anything from solar cells to smartphones. The German engineering company Festo is known for its biomimetic creations, producing everything from flying seagulls to wind turbines that flap their wings like birds. Now the company has developed an energy-efficient robot that hops around like a kangaroo. In green lighting news, Torafu Architects has created a series of recycled glass pendant lamps that are inspired by droplets of water. And Philips has developed a new LED bulb that looks and feels like an incandescent. And for those travelers who just can't seem to fit everything in their carry-on luggage, we present you with the JakToGo, a new jacket that stores up to 10 kg of goods, freeing up space in your suitcase.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for February 27, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some 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 player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
South Korea rules smartphone users can delete Android bloatware
In a move that we can only hope inspires other mobile regulators, the South Korean government has struck a major blow against Android bloatware. Yonhap News reports that Korea's Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MISP) is bringing the hammer down on preinstalled Android apps, introducing new guidelines that will enable users to delete them. Carriers won't be forced to make apps related to WiFi, user settings, NFC or an app store removable, but even with core services excluded, it puts almost 60 apps installed by the country's three biggest providers at risk. Samsung and LG won't escape the judgment either, with more than half of their 40 default apps facing a less-than-certain future. The ministry said preinstalled apps are an "inconvenience" to users and cause "unfair competition" between operators and carriers, so it asked them to offer detailed information to users on how much storage their preinstalled apps take up. It also intends to apply the same rules to Google's suite of apps and services, which includes Gmail and Hangouts, although the regulator is still in talks with the search giant. Samsung, LG, SK Telecom and others have until April before the rules come into effect, which could mean Korean users will be able to tweak apps installed on their new Galaxy S 5, should the device launch in the coming months.
Gaming addiction documentary 'Love Child' premieres at Sundance
The ongoing Sundance Film Festival recently saw the debut of Love Child, a film that explores South Korea's prominent, widespread online culture and the aftereffects of what can happen when gaming addiction causes irreparable harm. In 2010 South Korean gamers Kim Yoo-chul and Choi Mi-sun were partially absolved of blame in the starving death of their infant daughter due to a court's ruling that both were intractably addicted to an online roleplaying game called "Prius." Documentarian Valerie Veatch traveled to South Korea to examine the couple's story following the incident, and discovered that while the two parents have seemingly recovered - they no longer play games and are now raising two additional children - South Korea maintains a deep, cultural fascination with online gaming. "Korean culture is all about collective organization in groups, and online gaming is the best example of such group activities," the film's producer, Dong Hyun Kim, told IndieWire. "Most people prefer playing online games with their existing real-world friends in PC bangs." "The gaming industry has such a complex economy and is based on this immersion," stated Veatch. "We're not trying to induce fear, but we're trying to open up a conversation. The Korean government itself isn't hoping to be a killjoy. They, amongst others, realize that we do need to think about these issues."
Take a little look at TERA's newest class
The newest class in TERA is live on the Korean servers right now, and even if you don't normally play an Elin, you might be curious to see what it's all about. That's a little more problematic if you don't speak Korean, but lucky for you there's a whole preview of the upcoming class available now on Steparu. It should give you a good idea of what to expect when this update comes out stateside. Dark Elin start at level 55 and have a variety of new skills and abilities for players to use. Embedded past the break is a preview of a Dark Elin fighting one of the game's signature BAMs, showing off the class mechanics in brief and giving an idea of what it's like to play one. Check out the video past the break, and take a look at the full preview for a more in-depth look at the class.
Lime Odyssey to shut down in Korea... again
Lime Odyssey apparently cannot catch a break. The game's English version has been leading up to a launch that hasn't happened for more than a year now, with no updates on when that might take place. Last March, the game's Korean client was shut down. Then the game underwent a revival, and now... it's being shut down in Korea again, apparently due to financial issues. What does this mean for the game's English version? That's unclear, although official statements seem to indicate that Aeria Games plans to release the English version after the launch of Aura Kingdom. Whether or not that release will come to pass remains to be seen, but based on the game's history to date odds are not favorable. Our condolences to the players and developers affected by this shutdown.
Prius Online closes down in South Korea
Whether you think of it as Prius Online or Arcane Saga, the game known to its Korean playerbase as Prius Online has had a hard time keeping the lights on in the West. It's been running for five years over in its native South Korea, though... but no longer. As of December 17th the game will shut down for good, with character creation and the cash shop already disabled for its remaining time. Developer Netmarble has apparently been focusing more upon the mobile market rather than the PC game market, and the game presumably hit the spot of no longer being profitable to keep running. There had been rumors of a sequel, but this could kill any hopes for that as well as any lingering aspirations toward another American revival. It may have died many times before its final death, but it seems like this is finally the end of the road for the game.
Ragnarok Online 2 closing in Korea next month
Ragnarok Online 2's days are numbered -- if you're living in South Korea, that is. If you're in North Korea, you're probably more concerned about central heating and plumbing than the availability of an MMO. Citing few players, Gravity announced that it will be taking Ragnarok Online 2 offline in Korea on December 23rd. The developer did include a hint of hope in the shutdown notice that the game could return in the future. While this may be cause for concern to those playing Ragnarok Online 2 in other regions, the company said that the service will continue for North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
PlanetSide 2 coming to South Korea
PlanetSide 2 is forging in-roads with South Korea as SOE has announced a partnership with Daum Communications to bring the free-to-play MMOFPS to the country. Daum will be handling all of the operations of the title with exclusive publishing rights. Daum Leader of Game Division Sean Hong anticipates a strong response from the country's gamers: "PlanetSide 2 is a groundbreaking MMOFPS, and its competitive nature is a perfect fit for the South Korean audience." The date of the South Korean launch is unknown, but the two companies will be showing PlanetSide 2 off at G-STAR from November 14th through 16th. [Source: SOE press release]
Archlord 2 launches in Korea
Archlord 2 has gone from beta to live... in Korea, that is. Webzen announced that the PvP-centric title released in South Korea this week, with plans to bring it to Europe and North America in 2014. The greatest prize of the game isn't mere loot but the title and position of Archlord. This supreme ruler of the game will be decided through many realm-vs.-realm battles. Archlord 2 offers over 40 battlefields, racial specialties, and a soundtrack done by God of War composer Cris Velasco. We first heard about this title during Webzen's E3 presentation this past summer. [Source: Webzen press release]
iOS commands 14% of market share in Samsung's home country
Industry analysis firm Flurry has disclosed a fascinating little morsel of information: in South Korea, the home of Samsung, Apple's iOS devices account for one out of seven -- 14 percent -- of all mobile devices used in the country. Why is that number so surprising? South Korean manufacturers have long had an advantage in their home country, and even now Samsung tops the market with 60 percent of all smartphones and tablets sold in the country. Two other Android device manufacturers based in South Korea -- LG and Pantech -- account for another 25 percent of the market. Apple comes in at 14 percent, while all other Android manufacturers account for just a tiny 1 percent sliver of the market. Flurry's data show some other interesting facts. The company found that phablets -- larger than a smartphone, but smaller than most tablets -- were quite popular in South Korea, accounting for 41 percent of device sales. In the rest of the world, phablets only make up 7 percent of the market. [via Apple Insider]
Black Desert starts its first closed beta on October 17th
Are you ready to start exploring the darkest of all possible deserts? Are you also located in South Korea? Then you'll be happy to know that after several delays Black Desert has finally announced its closed beta test will start on October 17th. The first test will only run through the 23rd and will include four playable classes, leveling up to level 40, and two major areas to explore. As mentioned before, this test will be IP-locked, so international players are not allowed even with a strong grasp of the language. For those not eligible for the beta (i.e. most of our readers) there are also four new gameplay trailers embedded past the break showing off the various classes in action. They're not actually in life-or-death combat, but it's a chance to get a peek at what your various choices can do. Or what they would be able to do if you were able to get in on the testing... you get the idea. [Thanks to Lilian for the tip!]
Perfect World reassures players regarding the future of RaiderZ
There are certain things that trigger instinctive fears from MMO players. Things like having your game of choice shut down in its country of origin, which rarely bodes well for the future of the game as a whole. RaiderZ has shut down in both South Korea and Europe, but Perfect World Entertainment's senior product manager Mark Hill insists in a recent interview that this does not mean the title is in any risk of shutting down in North America. Hill states that the game is still developing a new expansion for release in the near future and that the development team is in close contact with the North American staff. He also points out that the game is not region-locked, allowing players to still register and play for the American version regardless of their countries of origin. While this doesn't mean the game is invincible in this market, it should help make current players a little more comfortable while playing.
PS4 hits South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan before Japan
The PlayStation 4 launches in South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan in December, MCV reports from the Tokyo Game Show. Japan gets the PS4 on February 22, 2014, Sony announced during its September 9 livestream. It'll cost ¥39,980 ($401) without the PS Eye, or ¥43,980 ($442) with the camera. Sony didn't provide prices or specific launch dates for the other Asian areas. PS4 hits North America on November 15 and Europe on November 29.
Korean players protest a flag in World of Warships
When you're dealing with a global market, sometimes it's the most innocuous elements that cause a problem. World of Warships, cousin to both World of Tanks and World of Warplanes, included something that made several Korean gamers very angry: A flag. Specifically, the Rising Sun flag on several Japanese ships. From Wargaming.net's perspective, since the game is meant to have players at the helm of ships used by the major armies involved in World War II, including a period-appropriate decoration was perfectly reasonable. However, to several players in the region, the Rising Sun flag is seen as a reminder of Japanese military expansion and aggression, which is still a sensitive topic in many regions. The company's representatives posted on the official forums that the flag will be removed from the game, with the added clarification that the team is trying to be as sensitive as possible to cultural differences. The game is currently in testing and is due for general release later this year.
