Durable Roll-Up Mobile Phones Coming to Market

Durable Roll-Up Mobile Phones Coming to Market

Flexible OLED Display
Nowadays, traditional paperback dictionaries are seemingly becoming obsolete as more consumers are turning to electronic dictionaries for their portability as well as versatility. With the emergence of next-generation flexible displays, experts predict that heavy notebook computers may also become outdated in the near future.

Recently, a Korean firm unveiled an ultra-thin flat panel that allows users to access information rolled up in e-papers. Developed by Samsung Mobile Display, the full-color flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel is thin, light, and can be rolled up like paper. The new display is 0.02mm thick, which is 1/10 of thickness of human hair, and weighs 0.29g, which is roughly 1/3 of weight of a bank note. Their new product is reported to be the slimmest and the lightest phone in the world as it incorporates a durable display panel. Even when dropped or hammered, the ultra thin display panel does not break and has the ability to show vivid color range.

Rolled-Up Electronic Appliances
How is it possible that the OLED enhances durability and aesthetic appeal of high-end gadgets? Experts claim that the answer lies in the special plastic component that is used instead of glass plates.
The liquid crystal display (LCD) is widely used in a variety of electronic appliances like mobile phones, MP3 players, televisions, washers, and more. Despite its wide use, LCD has its drawbacks. The liquid crystal of LCDs cannot produce light on its own, and thus must depend on backlights. In addition, the surface of LCD panel is made up of glass plate, and is thus subject to frequent damage. In order to make up for such shortcomings, Samsung Mobile Display chose to manufacture next generation flat panels by switching the glass plate into plastic.

Use of Plastic In Lieu of Glass
The process of making LCDs involves converting the silicon into a semiconductor, which produces a great amount of heat at 500 degrees Celsius. Naturally, it makes it difficult for plastic to survive the extremely high temperature. But with the use of plastic instead of glass plates, next-generation flat screens can be bent or rolled up like a scroll. Given these rewards, many leading flat panel suppliers have invested time and their tireless efforts to produce flexible OLED panels. Applying the innovative technology, those produced by the Korean firm do not come with glass plates as frames. Before the recent technology was introduced, flat panel suppliers had to undergo heating the displays at low temperatures to make sure the glue did not melt. Without the plates, it is unnecessary to go through such complicated processes anymore; the new technology allows suppliers to produce wearable displays including watch-like mobile phones, electronic books and passports at lower costs.
The OLED offers clearer image

http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_science_detail.htm?no=9078&current_page=

Italian dishes coupled with makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine)

Italian dishes coupled with 'makgeolli'

makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine) http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/11/10/2009111000722.html


This is the fourth installment of a series that will delve into the current movement towards the globalization of Korean cuisine from a variety of perspectives. The series will explore hansik's past and present, its global potential, and efforts that are being made to promote it to the world. - Ed

By Jean Oh

"Why does makgeolli need to go outside Korea?"

When asked about the global potential of makgeolli, Giuseppe Barone, owner of the Sicilian restaurant Fattoria delle Torri, stayed true to his "Slow Food" roots, stressing the importance of locality.

"Eat Sicilian in Sicily and Korean in Korea."

Barone, who reputedly helped found the Slow Food organization's Sicily branch, was in Korea last week to take part in a number of events, one of which was a dinner that coupled his tapas with the traditional Korean alcoholic beverage, makgeolli.

The dinner took place on Nov. 6 at the makgeolli bar Chin Chin near Hongik University. According to Chin Chin Executive Chef Kim Hak-soo, the dinner featured seven of Barone's creations and five of Chin Chin's own concoctions. A makgeolli named after Barone was also served at the dinner.

"It was founded on Giuseppe's philosophy," Chin Chin owner Zhang Ki-chul said of the newly-released drink.

Christened Giuseppe macgallery Nouveau 2009, the bottled beverage, according to Zhang, is made from newly harvested rice and has no aspartame (an artificial sweetener) in it.

"80 percent is made from eco-friendly rice from Jincheon-gun, 20 percent is made from domestic flour," he said.

So how did people respond to the coupling of tapas and the new makgeolli?

"The response was good," said Kim over the phone. According to him, around 120 people showed up for the event.

At the dinner, Barone showcased tapas that coupled soft persimmons with prosciutto, raw octopus with tomato sauce and fried beef dumplings with an orange dressing. He also whipped up an almond risotto, a nod it seems, to his initial impressions of makgeolli.

"If one put almonds in makgeolli, it might taste good," Barone, 49, had said several days earlier.

For Friday's dinner, he applied Italian techniques to local ingredients.

"If you are in a region, you need to use regional products," he explained.

That does not mean that he restricted the pairing of the Korean alcoholic beverage to domestic ingredients. Barone also considered potential pairings of makgeolli with classic Italian ingredients.

"If I made a pizza that would go well with makgeolli, I would use tomatoes, because they are sweet, soft and sour," he theorized. "And buffalo mozzarella. To give it a bitter taste I would use asparagus. Prosciutto crudo from Parma is famed for its softness. I would probably add that."

"There are two types of makgeolli," he continued. Barone then explained that he put makgeolli with an acidic or tart taste in the dry category.

"If it is dry, I think it will go well with a fish carpaccio."

When asked if he would consider making makgeolli with Italian rice, he answered: "Well, I guess it is worth a try."

Barone then voiced an interest in introducing the alcoholic beverage at the next Terra Madre meeting, which is coordinated by the Slow Food organization, in Italy's Turin.

When asked about the global potential of Korean cuisine, Barone responded positively to Korean temple cuisine, stating that it exhibited "international characteristics." On the flipside, it seems that Barone was not a huge fan of dishes that incorporated a lot of red chili powder.

"Focus more on the original flavors," said Barone, as he stressed the importance of using spices to enhance the produce's essential taste.

(oh_jean@heraldm.com) 2009.11.13
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/11/13/200911130053.asp

Second Life withdraws from local market

Second Life withdraws from local market

The virtual world community game Second Life has effectively withdrawn from the local market.

According to industry sources, the U.S.-based developer of Second Life, Linden Lab, failed to extend the contract with the local game company Barunson Games Corp. Barunson Games was first contracted to operate Second Life services in Korea in October 2007.

However, the Korean Second Life community Sera Korea will continue to be serviced.

Linden Lab's official position is said to be temporarily closing local operations. However, the company is reported to have no plans to revive the operations as yet.

In addition, Linden Lab seems to have been preparing to withdraw from the local market before the contract expired.

Before the contract expired, Linden Lab stopped providing Second Life in Korean and closed the Korean language site kr.secondlife.com and directed traffic to the English-language site.

As with other social networking services such as Facebook and Twitter that have proved hugely popular in the global market but failed to establish a significant presence in Korea, Second Life appears to have failed to adapt to the characteristics of the local market.

According to industry officials, Korean users tend to prefer more closed environments where they can interact with people they already know or relatively small groups of people, and are used to fast-paced online games.

In addition, the lack of localization efforts from Linden Lab is also said to have held Second Life back from attracting a larger number of users here.

Second Life's withdrawal from the local market also comes only a few months before the launch of a locally developed virtual world.

According to industry sources, a local developer Tri-d Communications is planning to begin testing its virtual world C2Town in February.

(cheesuk@heraldm.com)
By Choi He-suk
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/11/14/200911140010.asp

Maps Central to Mobile Plans of Internet Firms

Maps Central to Mobile Plans of Internet Firms 11-09-2009 20:57

Internet companies like Naver believe their digital map services to be the key in their mobile Web offerings. / Korea Times

By Kim Tong-hyung

Staff Reporter

The South Korean technology industry has been waiting for the mobile Internet explosion for years.

However, with the competitive pricing pressure on mobile telephony operators finally forcing them to budge and lower their data rates, there seems to be real hope that the average wireless user will begin to use his handset to surf the Web at last.

The stronger mobile Web will benefit the telecommunications companies, who could get more significant returns on their massive third-generation (3G) investment, and electronics makers, who may see bigger shipments of ``smart'' phones, which allow Web browsing and multimedia features on top of voice and provide larger margins than conventional handsets.

The rise of the mobile Internet is also critical for Internet companies, who are seeking to leverage their desktop-based business models to the quickly expanding market of the wireless.

Web sites such as Daum (www.daum.net), NHN, the operator of the search leader, Naver (www.naver.com) and SK Communications, which owns Nate (www.nate.com) and the popular social networking service, Cyworld (www.cyworld.com), are now racing to reprogram their existing Web services for mobile devices.

And the clear emphasis seems to be on their digital map services, as location-based applications may emerge as the killer content for smart phones.

Daum has been struggling to compete with Naver in traffic, with the latter enjoying a 70-percent-plus share in search queries, but in the arena of digital maps, the No.2 Web portal is considered to have the top game.

Daum spent a massive amount of money to introduce its digital map services, which include ``Sky View,'' a detailed photographic map of the country, and ``Road View,'' a ground-level image service.

The crystal-clear views of landscapes, roads, streets and buildings are impressive, even allowing a diner an up-close view of the sushi restaurant he reserved for diner, and Daum is hoping that its digital maps will become even more useful when wireless users can access them on their Web-enabled handsets.

Daum officials say the company is nearing the completion of the mobile version of their map services, optimized for Apple's iPhone and other popular smart phone models. Device makers are expecting location-based services to become a crucial application on smart phones, and Daum is hoping that its leadership in maps will give them a spurt ahead of rivals in mobile competition.

Daum soon plans to introduce ``i-Buddy,'' a handset-based social networking service that allows users to track the location of friends on Daum's map.

Apparently, Naver has no intention of surrendering its No.1 spot to its rival just because the competition is moving to smaller screens.

In comparison to Daum's ambitious splurge on its Web map services, Naver had maintained a more cautious approach in upgrading its own map services, citing the lack of a clear business model.

However, with the focus moving increasingly toward the mobile Web, Naver has now started to strengthen its map investment.

Naver recently released a traffic information application embedded upon its map services, allowing users to find the quickest road route and public transportation connection to a given location, and is also planning to achieve nationwide coverage of its digital photomap that provides images at the 50 centimeters per pixel level.

Naver is also planning to connect its map services with the content of Wingbus, a travel and leisure Web site, allowing users to search for popular tourism attractions and restaurants.

``Maps will be the essential application for the mobile Internet, as navigation features and other location-based services become critical when people are accessing the Web while on the move,'' said an industry official.

``Business models are still an issue, as fee-based services are unlikely to get off and it remains to be seen whether maps and other location-based services could draw a sufficient amount of advertisement money. Still, Internet companies can't afford to be laid back in maps, when they could influence the outcome of the traffic competition in the mobile Web.''

thkim@koreatimes.co.kr
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2009/11/129_55181.html

Samsung Electronics strikes new WiMAX deals

Samsung Electronics strikes new WiMAX deals
November 12, 2009
As Asia’s demand for the next-generation wireless Internet network WiMAX rises, Samsung Electronics announced yesterday that it has struck additional deals with Japan’s leading WiMAX provider, UQ Communications, to supply WiMAX equipment.

Samsung supplied equipment to UQ Communications for WiMAX networks in Japanese cities, including Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, with which the Japanese company first started commercial mobile WiMAX service this July.

With these additional deals with Samsung, UQ Communications plans to expand its mobile WiMAX network in Japan to cover more than 90 percent of the country’s population.

UQ Communications has been aggressive in expanding WiMAX in Japan recently, joining forces with 15 mobile device firms to launch various mobile WiMAX devices. Six companies are invested in UQ Communications including KDDI Corp., Japan’s second-largest mobile operator, and Intel Capital Corporation.

“Many governments in Asia are pushing for the introduction of a mobile WiMAX network, and Samsung Electronics will lead the mobile broadband era with our advanced mobile WiMAX technology,” said Kim Woon-sub, vice president and head of the telecommunication systems division.

The company also announced that it has joined the “WiMAX Innovation Network,” an alliance of global mobile communications companies to support WiMAX development, led by Malaysian WiMAX provider YTL Communications. Other companies in this group include U.S.-based Clearwire, Cisco and GCT Semiconductor.

WiMAX, or worldwide interoperability for microwave access, is a leading candidate to become the next-generation, 4G wireless technology standard along with LTE, or long-term evolution technology. It is a wireless Internet standard similar to Korean-developed WiBro, a third-generation technology.


By Cho Jae-eun [jainnie@joongang.co.kr]
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2912436