Semantic Rep’s CEO says firm in talks with U.S. company for M&A, allianceFrom newspapers, television to the Internet, the birth of new media has introduced novel ways for advertisers to market brands and products over the years.The Internet, for instance, has offered new ad solutions such as Web banners and search advertising.The emergence of smart devices and Long Term Evolution is about to launch a new era of mobile video advertising that will offer a lot more interactivity with consumers than

Network, copyright differences remain for online content platformPooq, a media platform formed by Contents Alliance Platform, was officially launched on Monday in Korea, with over 5,000 users already subscribing to its inexpensive service.But company officials said that more work needs to be done before it can become a global platform where overseas users can access and watch a variety of TV content provided by Korea’s four terrestrial broadcasters ― KBS, MBC, SBS and EBS.Contents Alliance Platf

KT, Korea’s second-largest mobile carrier, said Monday that it has launched a pilot service of Voice over Long Term Evolution for the first time in the world.Some 300 workers and college students will be given the chance to test KT’s high-definition VoLTE in Korea.The concept of HD VoLTE is similar to Voice over Internet Protocol telephone service, which uses Internet broadband lines to transmit voice data, whereas VoLTE transmit data via LTE networks, an industry source said.Also, VoLTE allows

LG Electronics plans to release a limited edition of its new ultra-definition, 3-D light-emitting diode smart television from July 20 to Aug. 20.Korea’s second largest consumer electronics company said that it will introduce the 84-inch LED TV model named 84LM9600, which is slightly bigger than the standard 2-meter-long king mattress.Targeting the premium TV market, LG’s ultra-definition LED TV offers four times as high resolution as full high-definition 1,920 by 1,080-size TVs, the company said

LG Display, Korea’s second-biggest display panel maker, has formed a partnership with Seoul National University for the research and development of next-generation display technology.The company said that the two sides will establish the LGD-SNU Cooperation Center within the university’s Research Institute of Advanced Materials to push forward in making Korea the “Mecca” of the world’s leading R&D in display.The corporate-academic center will house top engineers, researchers and professors from

KT plans to sell its old copper cables that used to be the main telecommunication lines for telephones and the Internet in the 1990s.With the emergence of smarter devices and demand for faster data, copper cables have gradually been replaced by fiber-optic cables, which are lighter and transmit data faster with greater bandwidth.KT said Thursday that it will sell over 26,000 tons of copper cables via a public auction to waste and recycling companies by the end of August.With the proceeds from th

The Korea Communications Commission said Thursday that it has set up a center aimed at supporting developers to create applications for smart TVs.The country’s communications watchdog established the support center in southern Seoul with leading tech and content companies such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and CJ HelloVision.The KCC said the center aims to support and encourage college students, venture tech start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises to develop world-class apps fo

LG Uplus, the smallest of Korea’s telecom companies, has launched a cloud platform where users can access games that can be played on personal computers and smartphones.In a media presentation on Wednesday, LG Uplus vice president Chun Byung-wook unveiled the “C-Games” cloud platform with its strategic partners ― Korea Game Developers Association, Ubitus, a Taiwan-based software developer for cloud platforms, and Nvidia, a U.S. graphic processors developer. This marks the first time for a Korean

SK Telecom, Korea’s biggest mobile carrier, said Wednesday that it has launched an application where users can receive their bills and pay them through smartphones.The application named “Smartphone Billing & Payment Platform” can be downloaded by any smartphone users at SK Telecom’s T Store, Google’s Android or Apple’s App Store.With the app, users can not only pay their telephone bills, but also property and other taxes to regional government offices.The development of the app was part of effor

DTS, the U.S.-based audio technology company, has introduced a new solution that can enhance viewing and help consumers become more emotionally affected by the content they see on smart electronic products.In a press conference on Tuesday, the company’s senior vice president Geir Skaaden unveiled the “Neo2:5,” an audio solution embedded in Samsung Electronics’ premium smart TVs that can convert any two-channel audio to 5.1 surround sound, equivalent to what movie theaters offer.This system is in

SK Telecom said that executives from Taiwan Mobile visited the Korean company on Tuesday to benchmark its operation of Long Term Evolution technology.Three Taiwan Mobile executives, including chief technology officer Tom Koh, paid a visit to learn not only of SK Telecom’s LTE infrastructure and services, but also its smart learning, e-healthcare and security businesses. The visit came after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to form a strategic alliance in telecommunication conve

LG Electronics is about to duke it out with Samsung Electronics over premium large refrigerators as Korea’s second-largest consumer electronics company is gearing up to launch its new, bigger and better product.LG Electronics said Monday that it will release an all-new four-door fridge brand Dios with a 910-liter storage capacity, the world’s biggest refrigerator, next month.The company added that it will further expand in the global premium fridge markets, signaling a direct challenge against i

LG Electronics, Korea’s second-largest consumer electronics maker, temporarily suspended its television advertisements promoting the company’s Cinema 3-D Smart TV and the London Olympics last week.The company stopped showing its ads for two days after receiving a warning from the Korean Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee, according to media reports.Non-Olympic corporate sponsors are not allowed to market their brands or products using the word “Olympic.”LG Electronics’ 3-D

A majority of Korean companies, including blue chips, listed on the stock market, are expected to see their free cash flow decline due to the global economic slowdown, said FNGuide, an online financial information service provider.It has estimated that free cash flow of 98 listed companies will fall to 18.4 trillion won on average this year, or 53.8 percent down from about 40 trillion won at the end of last year.Almost 80 percent of the 98 listed companies will see a drop in their free cash flow

“Kakao Talk” was the most popular information and technology search term on Google in the first half of this year, said Google Korea.Korea’s mobile messenger, used by some 50 million people worldwide, recently made headlines over the announcement of its free mobile Voice over Internet Protocol service Voice Talk.This has led to escalating tension between Kakao and two giant mobile carriers ― SK Telecom and KT, further helping Kakao Talk to be the most searched term on Google, the Korean subsidia

LG Display has been chosen by the government to lead a project to develop transparent and flexible organic light-emitting diode displays.Korea’s second-largest display-panel maker said that it will develop proprietary technology for ultra high-definition, 60-inch flexible OLED displays by 2017 as part of the government’s “Future Flagship Program” to promote next-generation technologies.The company will lead a consortium, which includes Avaco, an equipment maker for display production, for the de

Samsung, Nexon-backed tech firm Silent Music Band seeks M&A for synergy between music, social networkingMusic has long been considered a field only for professional singers, composers or those who, at least, studied or know how to read and play music.But Blue Yun, the CEO and founder of Silent Music Band, aims to break this conventional thinking by helping consumers, regardless of age, background and experience, understand and create music through its software. This is the main reason the compan

SK Telecom said Monday that it transmitted 3-D broadcasting content through its Long Term Evolution networks for the first time in the world.In an opening ceremony of the 3-D Media Lab in Sangamdong, Seoul, SK Telecom successfully field-tested the 3-D broadcasting transmission.This marks the first time where media and telecommunications technologies of 3-D broadcasting equipment and LTE networks have been integrated, SK Telecom noted.As 3-D visuals take up a lot more data space than conventional

Mobile business continues to contribute to growth, analysts saySamsung Electronics, the world’s biggest chip and smartphone maker, is expected to post record earnings in the second quarter of this year.The company estimated that its operating profit will reach about 6.7 trillion won ($5.9 billion) in the months between April and June, up about 79 percent from 3.75 trillion won a year ago. It is likely to post sales of approximately 47 trillion won, up 19 percent from 39.4 trillion won, according

Samsung Electronics, the world’s biggest chip and smartphone maker, has become Asian consumers’ most valued brand, surpassing long-time favorite Sony and Samsung’s closest smartphone rival Apple.Citing a survey of 4,800 people in 12 Asian countries by research firm Nielsen and magazine Campaign Asia-Pacific, U.S. broadcaster CNBC reported that Samsung Electronics has climbed to the top this year, from second place in branding last year. “The brand’s focus on high visibility marketing and adverti