korea

Apple's iPad outselling Samsung's own tablets in Korea

Apple's iPad is giving Samsung's tablets a run for their money even in Samsung's home base of Korea.

Sales of the iPad are estimated to have topped 1 million in Korea since the tablet debuted in the country in November 2010, according to the Korea Herald. Last year's sales alone hit around 700,000.

And since many Koreans bought the iPad before it was available locally, the total could be much higher than 1 million, noted the Herald.

Samsung is shy about releasing actual sales figures. But the iPad's share of the Korean market is … Read more

North Korean government labels cell phone users as war criminals

In North Korea, using a cell phone could come with the accusation and punishment of being a war criminal.

According to The Telegraph, anyone caught using a mobile phone or attempting to flee to China during the 100-day mourning period for late leader Kim Jong-il will be considered a war criminal and "punished accordingly."

Kim Jong-il, 69, died on December 17 from a heart attack. His son, Kim Jong-un, has taken over as North Korea's president.

When Jong-il died, the country was swept in massive mourning and public outpourings of grief. However, according to The Telegraph, with … Read more

LG promises Ice Cream Sandwich for swanky new Prada 3

After briefly mentioning it yesterday in its Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade plans, LG spilled more details today on its upcoming LG Prada 3 Android smartphone.

Like the Prada and Prada 2 before it, the Prada 3's calling card is its sleek (0.3-inch), "look at me!" profile. Though relatively minimalist by Prada standards, the handset's glossy black skin, "Saffiano" pattern on the battery cover, and prominent logo are enough make it eye-catching. Accessories are optional, but encouraged.

Features include a WVGA 4.3-inch display with a Prada-designed user interface, a 1GHz dual-core processor, a … Read more

Don't try bribing these robot prison guards

Inmates at a prison in South Korea will probably think twice about trying to escape after robots join guard duty on the cell block.

Beginning next March, three guard robots will be on alert for dangerous behavior at the prison in Pohang, according to a Yonhap News report.

The 1 billion won ($864,000) project is being organized by Korea's Ministry of Knowledge Economy. The robots will mainly patrol at night and serve as telepresence droids for remote human guards.

The 5-foot-tall robot, which sports four wheels and the ability to speak, is under development by the Asian Forum … Read more

Korean iOS users are finally in the game

After more than two years of suffering without titles like Angry Birds and Air Penguin, South Korean iOS users are finally getting to join in on the fun.

That's because Apple on Wednesday began including games in its South Korean iOS App Store, a change that came several months after the July decision by the Seoul-based Game Rating Board to relax rules governing violent and sexual content.

Because of those restrictions, both Apple and Google had declined to include games in the Korean versions of their app stores, meaning that owners of iOS and Android devices in that country … Read more

Free-trade pacts export U.S. copyright controls

President Obama called the approval of free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea this week "a major win for American workers."

What he didn't add is that the deals, which were given final approval on Wednesday by the U.S. Congress, are also a major win for the motion picture industry and other large U.S. copyright holders. Other portions specify that consumers can have their choice of computer software, but "subject to the needs of law enforcement."

You won't find this highlighted on the administration's Web site (really, Web sites), but … Read more

Chevy drivers at GM Korea set Guinness World Record with vehicle logo

In preparation for Chevrolet's centennial celebration, set for November 3, 2011, GM Korea gathered 1,143 of its customers in Pyeongchang, Gangwon, to create the largest Chevrolet bow tie and set a new Guinness World Record.

The motorcar mosaic was made up of Spark, Aveo, Cruze, Orlando and Captiva models and measured 688 feet (209.9 meters) in length and 221 feet (67.6 meters). The design was recognized as the Largest Car Logo.

The Chevy brand launched in Korea on March 1, 2011, with a nationwide brand unveiling event in Seoul. Since then, GM Korea has introduced several … Read more

Korean trustbusters raid Google offices (scoop)

The Korean Fair Trade Commission, that country's antitrust agency, raided Google's offices in Seoul today, CNET has learned.

Regulators are apparently interested in information about Google allegedly limiting access to rival search engines on its Android mobile operating system. In April, two Korean Internet companies--NHN, which operates the popular Naver search engine there, and Daum Comminications--asked the country's Fair Trade Commission to investigate Google's business practices regarding mobile search.

It's also possible that mobile-device makers, some of which are based in South Korea, may have raised concerns related to restrictions Google places on use … Read more

North Korea's army of online game hackers

From the "I guess this makes sense" files, the New York Times reports that North Korea has unleashed a squad of hackers to infiltrate South Korean gaming sites. The two countries have technically been at war for almost 60 years, and cyber-attacks are the modern-day equivalent to a slap in the face.

The police in Seoul said Thursday that four South Koreans and a Korean-Chinese had been arrested on charges of drawing on that army to organize a hacking squad of 30 young video gaming experts.

Working from Northern China, the police said, the squad created software that … Read more