Electronics Contributing to Ulcers and Anorexia/Bulimia??

What's with the title? Well, that's what I have to say about this world's obsession with being thin and first. First, it was women. Then, it was men. I've even heard of dogs with body image problems. But now, it's electronics the world over. Everything is about being slim, slim, slim! What next?

Of course we know now that when it comes to gadgetry, it's all about being the first, the quietest, the fastest, sleekest (that a word?), the thinnest, the smallest, the lightest etc.

But this is just too much. LG Electronics has debuted the world's thinnest LCD TV. The Scarlet Super Slim. That's such a long name. I think if they're going to make the TVs so slim, they should spend time coming up with a shorter name. No? See, they've even gotten to me!



As you can see, it's 44.7 milimeters thick and has accents of red instead of the normal black-dominated colors.

But that's not even the half of it! An LG affiliate, LG Display has invented this new technology that supposedly can crank out these LCD panels non-stop as if it were printing newspapers. The result? Cheaper, faster, thinner.

I know this sounds good on paper. But I don't know how healthy this obsession with being faster and thinner is. I mean, something's gotta give. Sometimes it's just better to sit back and enjoy life, you know?

Anyway, to go with the frenzy...

Samsung Electronics has come out with the world's fastest printer. It prints 38 color pages a minute and 53 black and white pages a minute.

Actually, that might come in handy since I have so many papers due this month... I only wish I could write each page as fast as this thing can print them...



It's called the MultiXpress and it faxes, prints, scans and copies~ Of course, the all-in-one concept has been done before, but never this fast.

I guess this is why foreign investors are still really keen to put their money in Korean IT companies. The Korea Exchange just announced the most popular KOSPI-listed companies to foreign investors.

Hop on This Broadband-Wagon!

South Korea says it wants to win 10 gold medals during the Beijing Olympic Games, but it has already won one!

According to The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, South Korea has the most developed broadband network in the world. The 2008 ITIF Broadband Rankings take household penetration, speed and price into account, calculates the standard deviation and then tallies up the score. South Korea got a 15.92, just ahead of Japan's 15.05. The UK placed in 13th place and the U.S. 15th place.

I first got wind of this story from the online edition of China's People's Daily. It reports on South Korea's broadband penetration, but ends on the fact that China did not rank, despite having an active broadband network.

The China Daily article also says that China's overall internet penetration rate is 16-percent, below the global average of 19.1-percent.

The ITIF also did a more in-depth profile into South Korea and why it's number 1. You can get the article here. Apparently, it has a lot to do with government programs that encourage Internet usage. Surprising? Actually, it's not that surprising, but internet usage among Korean students is over 99-percent. But that should be true of most OECD countries, right?

Start Your Engines!

Today marks the start of the 2008 International Motor Show in Busan, South Korea. The show is set to go on for 11 days and members of the public can view the displays from May 3rd to the 12th, according to the Chosun Ilbo.

The Goods
24 brands are taking place in the show, ten of which are Korean. These include the 5 big guns, Hyundai, Kia, Renault-Samsung, GM-Daewoo and Ssangyong.
The show will mark the Asian debut of Hyundai's Genesis. It's looking pretty nice...


Chosun Ilbo

Some of the 14 foreign brands that are showing include Land Rover, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Porsche and Bentley.

The Focus
Apparently, there has been a large emphasis placed on eco-friendly cars. The show in Busan will be no different. Here is Hyundai's "i-Mode". It's lighter because its body is made from polycarbonate, which supposedly means it guzzles a lot less gas than other vehicles of similar sizes.


Joongang Daily

Okay, now comes the fun! Kia has come out with its Soul series. Sound familiar? I blogged earlier about the Samsung Soul, which is a brand new cell phone. While there is no relation here, I wonder why this is the noun of choice in Korea these days?

Anyway, check this out.

For the girl...


Kia Diva

For her boyfriend...


Kia Burner

And for ten years down the line when they're married with kids?


Kia Searcher

Now, if only I had a license...

What's a "BlueSumer"?

Koreans like to coin their own phrases. And many times, these phrases are coined in English, which gives it an authoritative feel to it. Alas, a quick google search told me that only Koreans use the term.

What does it mean?
It is a shortened version of the terms "blue oceans" and "consumer."

What is a blue ocean?
No, it's not just a large body of water. It is a term ALSO coined in Korea to mean large untapped markets.

So basically, a "bluesumer" is someone who is attracted to new markets and products, who also has some money to burn.

Add it to your vocabulary lexicons.

Korea's National Statistical Office (that's right, not Statistics Office, but Statistical!) has just come out with the hot new products for the bluesumers of 2008! There are seven categories of bluesumers and their products. Here's a small taste!

(scroll down a bit for the table, for some reason there is a huge space here...)

"Gold kids" = Parents of only children	stocks for kids, fitness equipment
"Almost Rich" = Young people who want quality goods and services	Inexpensive foreign cars
"Passionate Senior" = Middle-aged and older people who can travel	Travel packages, opera tickets
"Married Romance" = Couples with either no kids or with adult children and who now have time for romance	Packages for renewing vows
"At home Dad" = Stay-at-home dads and house husbands	Daddy diaper bags, baby food makers
"Family-like Care" = People who live alone	Companion services, robotic pets
"Scared Children" = Children and parents worried about crimes against children	Bodyguards, cell phone tracking chips

Now you all know where the money's at this year! Invest away!

Haute Couture - Hot Technology

First, came LG's Prada phone...



Then came LG's Volkswagon Beetle phone...



Then came Samsung's Armani phone...



Now, I introduce you to Samsung's Armani TV...



This 46-inch LCD debuted at the Milan International Furniture Fair on April 16th. Right from the showroom floor to your computer screens!

If you like what you see and you live in Europe, South Korea or Russia, you can get your hands on this TV in the middle of this upcoming summer.

If you live somewhere else, I wouldn't hold my breath... Something to do with cross-marketing.

The price is yet to be announced. But I'm sure you can assume it'll put a nice dent in your wallet!

Samsung See-Saw Part III: The Upswing

I have been blogging on the latest developments in the Samsung saga and it is now time for an update. It seems that despite the resignation of ex-chairman Lee Kun-hee, Samsung's future has never seemed brighter. The first quarter results for Samsung's flagship company, Samsung Electronics (SE) came out yesterday.
According to today's Joongang Daily, SE recorded a 37-percent increase in profits from the same time a year ago. The reason is primarily due to heightened sales of LCD screens and, of course, cell phones.







Samsung is the industry leader in the LCD market and its profits for Q1 surpassed the 1 billion dollar mark for the very first time. For cell phones, Samsung sold 46.3 million handsets beating out Motorola for the second spot and is now second only to Nokia.
But how did it do this, especially with the financial problems affecting the world at the moment? Samsung responded by cutting down on marketing costs and used the weaker won to bounce back.



The news of Samsung's successful first quarter also breathed new life into the Kospi, Seoul's main stock market. It advanced 25.34 points, or 1.4 percent.
Okay, a lot of technical jargon there. This basically means that people are buying into Korea's tech stocks on the back of how well Samsung did in the first quarter. I guess this goes to show that in Korea, having a chairman step down as a result of illegal tax evasion accusations does not necessarily mean the end. But is this necessarily a good thing? You be the judge.

Samsung See-Saw II: Follow-Up

I knew Samsung was a far-reaching and powerful company, but I must say that I'm impressed with the amount of coverage it has been getting in the foreign press recently. But it's not just coverage. Lee Kun-hee's resignation (see previous post) has sparked surprise, disbelief and even action around the world.



"Surprise"
"It was a surprise move. Mr. Lee had survived previous corruption scandals and even a conviction on bribery charges in the 1990s to hold on to his chairmanship."--NYT, April 22, 2008


"Unprecedented"
"The announcement signals ``an end to the era of the Masters of the Universe,'' says Tom Coyner, who helps advise foreign investors in Korea as president of Soft Landing Consulting Ltd. in Seoul. ``The resignation by Chairman Lee Kun Hee is unprecedented."--Bloomberg, April 23, 2008


"Not much will come of move"
"Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee's resignation under the cloud of a criminal indictment will end his 20-year direct control of South Korea's largest business. But he will retain significant influence as its largest individual shareholder, raising questions about how deeply the business will really change."--WSJ, April 23, 2008

According to the Chosun Ilbo, there are mixed views in Japan. Kyodo News Agency thinks Lee will remain just as influential. Meanwhile, Nihon Keizai says Japan will use this momentum to recover some of the ground it lost to Samsung in the industry. Unfortunately, the Japanese articles were not available to read at the time of this post.

Many see Lee's resignation as hope for more transparency within Korea's chaebols. Some even go as far as to say that it spells the end for the chaebol era. But I doubt they'll go down without a fight. Forbes.com reported yesterday that half of Korea's 40 richest people are affiliated with chaebols.

The Samsung See-Saw

AP

Almost every online periodical you could get your hands on today has covered the resignation of Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee. He is one of the most powerful businessmen in South Korea. Some might argue that he is THE most powerful businessman in Korea. Regardless, his stepping down means many things.

The Good.
It may spell more transparency within the chaebol-style mega-conglomerates that have dominated Korea's economy for the past half century. These chaebols are known for being secretive and intensely familial. So who knows what sort of practices have been going on behind closed doors. Samsung is definitely not the first to be ousted for tax evasion and other such shady maneuvers. I doubt it will be the last. The UK's Guardian called him "untouchable." And the fact that he has resigned hopefully means more regulation.

The Bad.
Who knows what this means for Korea's economy which is extremely dependent on Samsung. It is also understandable that the group's employees are also nervous wrecks waiting for the ball to drop. The company is definitely going to go through a major restructuring. The powerful Strategic Planning Office has been dismantled and key figures high in the hierarchy are following the chairman in stepping down. Hopefully the company will be able to continue to keep its place in the economy amid these changes.

The Beautiful.
Yes, this post is about Samsung's current woes. However, there are always silver linings. It seems that the news has not stopped this week's UK launch of Samsung's latest phone. It is called the Samsung Soul and it's gorgeous! Take a look and see why Samsung investors aren't rushing to sell their stocks just yet.

Face, Space... the Korea Race!

Last week, a new version of MySpace was launched in South Korea. After making various changes and additions to the original form, MySpace execs are now biting their nails to see whether their new product is going to sink or swim.


Korean version

It matters little that despite the growing shadow of Facebook, MySpace is still America's most popular social-networking site. South Korea is in its own technological world. It has its own programs, including the ever-present Cyworld as well as the many Naver and Daum blogs available.










South Korea may be a small East Asian nation, but even Google has failed to make inroads there.



In fact, AP says it is one of the few countries where google is not the dominant search engine. Though South Korea has opened itself up to anything and everything foreign in the past ten years, it is still a country that likes to keep to itself. And this is especially true with regard to social networking and other internet sites.
To attract Korea's blogging community, it has added such functions as the "minilog," allowing users to jot down thoughts, sort of like a blog or diary. They will also cater to what I call Korea's "passion for the pretty" and offer skins in different designs.
But there are still obstacles to be overcome. First of course is the aforementioned intense competition. Next is the language barrier. Though English is increasingly becoming mainstream in Korea, the lack of a translation option might prove to be a turn-off for those who choose to keep their English use inside the classroom or tutoring sessions.
MySpace has also launched its Indian service this week.


Indian version

So we will all wait to see whether or not the ambitions of the MySpace creators will pay off.

Koreans are Everywhere... Even Space!

Russia's Soyuz TMA-11.



This was the spacecraft that carried Yi So-yeon, South Korea's very first astronaut, into space and landed her safely (?) down to earth today. Also on board were Russia's Yuri Malenchenko and United States space veteran Peggy Whitson.


Yi So-yeon

But the landing was far from perfect. According to Yonhap News Agency, the spacecraft was forced to land 420 kilometers, or about 250 miles, from the original designated spot due to intense G-forces.
Hold on. What in the world are G-forces? According to Webster's New Millenium Dictionary of English, a g-force is defined as: "a unit of inertial force on a body that is subjected to rapid acceleration or gravity, equal to 32 ft. per second per second at sea level." I'm still not really grasping the concept, but we can't all be cosmonauts... I'm just upset that Yonhap didn't think to define the word within its article.
Anyway, as a result of these mysterious g-forces, they had to change their landing course at the last minute, thus arriving on earth 20 minutes behind schedule.
As soon as they landed, the three were taken to get medical check-ups and Yonhap quotes a Russia Space Agency director as saying, "All three cosmonauts are healthy and in good condition."
Yi spent a total of 12 days conducting various experiments in space. These included simple tests of gravity and possibly coming up with ways to reduce the noise the machines in spaceships make.
Korea has made relatively slow inroads into the Space Race. It's just the 39th country to send someone to space. But Seoul's new government now wants to be in the top 7 of the world's space superpowers within 10 years. I guess only time will tell just how significant Yi's landmark trip will be on the country's space future and whether the country has what it takes.

"Top" 'Em Up

I've come across some news in the latest Chosun Ilbo that both impressed and disturbed me at the same time. South Korea's Seoul National University has cloned 6 white labrador retrievers to be used as drug-sniffing dogs at the airport. The Korea Customs Service commissioned SNU to create them. Even more disturbing is the fact that they all have the same name! Toppy, short for "Tomorrow's Puppy."


Yonhap

This takes me years back to Korea's first cloned dog Snuppy (SNU + Puppy). I wonder how he's doing now.


Snuppy

Anyway, apparently Chase is the name of the father of the Toppies and he is the best sniffer dog at Incheon International Airport. So instead of training actual dogs to do the job (as Chase must have been at one point) they decided to clone a whole fleet of them!
The next step is to train them to differentiate between different drugs. What I don't understand is that if they are going to have to train them anyway, why not just use regular dogs? Don't all dogs have incredible senses of smell?
What's next? Is it just me or does this spell a frightening pattern of behavior for the future? First animals...

Koreans Pay More

The Chosun Ilbo has just put it to my attention that purchasing a Korean electronic product IN Korea may not be your best bet. It turns out that electronics market dominators Samsung and LG are priced much more expensively in the domestic sphere than abroad. But why? The obvious answer is of course that there is much more competition to be had in other markets, including the United States and China. So Korean companies slash their prices there to entice more buyers. But why do Koreans in Korea stand for this? Apparently, model numbers change from country to country, even though they are attached to the exact same product. So many don't know.


Model no. LN46A550 goes for about $1,500


Model no. LN46A550P1F, sold in Korea, goes for about $2,500

And even if Korean consumers do find out, merchants are likely to explain that their product comes with a 2-year domestic guarantee that other countries don't have on offer. Still, what's to stop someone from getting a friend who lives in the States to buy up an LCD screen and ship it to them in Seoul? Nothing, really.