koreans

Google reportedly faces maximum fine from Korean trustbuster

Google could face the maximum fine for allegedly obstructing a Korean investigation of its business practices, the head of the Korean Fair Trade Commission told that country's fourth-largest newspaper.

That antitrust official, Kim Dong-soo, made the comments in a recent interview with the paper, Hankook Ilbo (note: original article is in Korean), according to CNET's independent translation of the article. The paper reported that when the agency raided Google Korea's office in September, the company obstructed the investigation by deleting key files from PCs and asking its employees to telecommute from home, which had the effect of … Read more

South Korea says Google Street View broke law

Police in South Korea reportedly say Google broke the country's law when its Street View service captured personal data from unsecure Wi-Fi networks.

The Korean Police Department will now send the case to prosecutors, who will decide whether to formally charge the search giant, says the Associated Press.

Google has been accused of capturing personal information from wireless networks as its Street View service took photos of South Korean neighborhoods between October 2009 and May 2010. The case kicked off last August when South Korean police raided the local offices of Google in an attempt to determine whether the … Read more

South Korea's dazzling speaker designs

The U.S., England, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, and China all make bona fide high-end audio gear. Korea? I've heard some South Korean gear over the years, but I can't say any of it made a strong impression.

I recently stumbled upon Metal Sound Design's Web site, and while I can't guess what their speakers sound like, they all have a great sense of style and appear to be well-built. The South Korean company has won numerous awards and prizes over the years.

True to their name, the company's speakers are made out of metal, … Read more

StarCraft II takes flight with Korean Air

They print anything and everything on aircraft these days. Following Pikachu and the recent Gundam mecha skins on Japan's All Nippon Airways, StarCraft II has also joined the sky high club, with two Korean Air planes--a B747-400 and a B737-900--wrapped with the image of terran hero Jim Raynor from the game. These birds will fly both the domestic and international routes in the U.S. and Europe for six months from June 24 and early July, respectively.

Back on the ground, four Korean Air limousine buses skinned with StarCraft II characters will also be in service throughout this period. … Read more

The 404 304: Where this is the show that's caused global warming

MTI (also known as Mark Licea) joins the show today to replace Justin Yu, who's on vacation to Boston. We cover everything under the typical 404-sun: strippers, Playboy, Mexican-Korean truck food, Twitter, and Sweet Lou Bakalar.

Every one knows that the economy is in the tank. For a lot of people out there, that means spending hours every day listening to past episodes of the 404. For some it means that instead of using that Harvard degree, they are using the assets their momma gave them. In related news, Playboy has posted its entire back catalog online. Warning: This is totally NSFW. You can check out all the previous back issues of Playboy magazine online with a Silverlight-enabled browser.

Also, last Friday was the final broadcast of the landmark series Battlestar Galactica. Wilson, being the only fan of the show on The 404, has plenty to say--most of which seems to bore the hell out of Jeff and MTI. The show will be missed, and while the finale hit most of the right marks, there were a few things that gave plenty of pause--like the second ending. Check it out on iTunes or Hulu. Promise you're going to love Number Six in a red dress.

There's a food truck in Los Angeles driving around, Twittering, and making Korean-Mexican tacos? Finally, Sweet Lou Bakalar, Jeff's father, gives us his insight on the current state of texting and television buying. Stay tuned tomorrow for Eric Franklin!

Episode 304 Download today's podcast |  Subscribe in iTunes |  Subscribe in RSS… Read more

The 404 147: Where we're looking for the big E

Self-proclaimed audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg sits in with us today and gives us the inside scoop on the many benefits of ear cleansing. Light candles in your ear, pouring hydrogen peroxide into the ear canal, what the...? We also talk more about the latest headphones on the market and even gain some insight into the Steve's former political agenda! We also play a heartbreaking voicemail that Natali received from our buddy Phil Ryan and EVENTUALLY get into the rundown at the tail end of the show, talking about (dare we say) hot, sweaty lesbians! 'Tis true, take a peek! EPISODE … Read more

Report: iPhone may recognize Korean writing too

The iPhone may be getting Chinese handwriting recognition, but that doesn't mean it's done yet. Diotek, a mobile software company based in Korea, has announced the development of its DioPen--a handwriting software for the iPhone. According to ZDNet Korea, the DioPen can recognize Korean, Chinese, and English letters and digits written in cursive, print, or both. It works on the iPhone's touch screen, as well as displays on other handsets. No word on when it'll be available.

Korean Air bans Dell and Apple laptop batteries

In an effort to avoid unintended explosions on flights, Korean Air has banned several laptops from use onboard their planes.

The Korean Air advisory was issued on Aug. 30.

The advisory says that passengers are prohibited from operating Dell laptops on board Korean Air flights. People may still carry them on board if they first remove the battery from the laptop. The ban includes all Dell laptops, regardless of whether the model or battery is part of the official recall.

The advisory also requires passengers to remove the batteries from Apple iBook and PowerBook laptops before bringing them onboard a … Read more