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...