LAS VEGAS -- Bigger, brighter, more pixels and better contrast. Before the pandemic, who makes the better TV was largely decided by these simple standards.  But as lifestyles have changed amid the prolonged COVID-19 outbreak, particularly with the emergence of the delta and omicron variants, the definition of innovation has changed as well. Now, consumers demand more features they can enjoy in the safety and comfort of their homes. Such new customer demand has brought South Korea‘s

Industry Jan. 3, 2022

South Korean memory chipmaker SK hynix said Thursday it paid Intel an initial $7 billion tranche, completing the first phase to acquire the US tech giant’s NAND and SSD business. By absorbing Intel’s NAND and SSD business, SK hynix will rise as the No. 2 player in the global NAND market from its current fifth place. In the SSD segment, where Intel controls 29.6 percent, SK hynix can surpass Samsung Electronics with a combined market share of nearly 37 percent. NAND flash memory c

Industry Dec. 30, 2021

SK Group, the third-largest conglomerate in South Korea, albeit lesser known on the global stage than Samsung, plans to surprise the world with its grand plan to reduce 1 percent of the world’s carbon emissions at the Consumer Electronics Show 2022. Bringing a rather public agenda at the world’s largest tech event where technological innovations take center stage, SK will share its hydrogen strategy to promote global transition into a carbon-neutral world, according to Andrew Kwon

Industry Dec. 29, 2021

Samsung Electronics reduced chip production in Xian where Chinese authorities placed a strict lockdown last week to contain the prolonged pandemic. According to Samsung Newsroom Thursday, the South Korean IT giant “decided to temporarily adjust operations” at its chip factory in Xian. The decision was made to protect the health and safety of its employees and partners, according to the press release. To ensure its customers are not affected, the company will take all necessary me

Industry Dec. 29, 2021

Samsung SDI has unveiled its new battery brand “PRiMX,” which stands for a prime battery for maximum experience, to better convey its corporate identity that pursues super-gap technology. The rebranding portrays the philosophy of the firm’s new CEO Choi Yoon-ho, who took the post earlier this month. In his inaugural speech, Choi said, “Let’s together embark on a journey of true No. 1 ... based on super-gap technology and best quality.” “Samsung SDI h

Industry Dec. 29, 2021

Samsung Electronics has invested in Ready Player Me, a 3D avatar platform for the metaverse that allows users to explore virtual worlds with one consistent identity, according to a press release Wednesday. Samsung Next, Samsung Electronics’ subsidiary investing in startups with promising technologies, participated in a $13 million series A funding round led by a venture capital Taavet+Sten. According to Ready Player Me, the funding will be used to grow its global presence as the defaul

Industry Dec. 29, 2021

Posco Energy, a subsidiary of South Korean steel giant Posco, surrendered its exclusive rights to market, manufacture and service FuelCell Energy’s advanced hydrogen fuel cells in Asia. In a statement announced Tuesday, the two firms reached a settlement to end a license dispute that had begun in 2015. As a result, Posco will relinquish its exclusive rights to the Connecticut-based firm’s molten carbonate fuel cells, or MCFCs, in Asia. Though Posco will no longer be able to manufa

Industry Dec. 28, 2021

A family of four in South Korea will see electricity bills rise as much as 2,000 won ($1.69) per month in 2022 as Korea Electric Power Corp. decided to raise utility prices 5.6 percent to mitigate its soaring debt accumulated due in part to its aggressive pursuit of renewable energy. According to NH Investment & Securities on Tuesday, the state-run utility will charge 11.8 won more per kilowatt-hour next year, which would allow the company to save costs worth 3 trillion won annually. Des

Industry Dec. 28, 2021

In 2019, LG unveiled its jaw-dropping rollable TV, then followed that up in 2021 with a rollable phone. In 2022, LG will return to Las Vegas with a rather puzzling piece of innovation called Media Chair, a chimera device that combines a curved OLED TV with a recliner chair. While the product may not be familiar to those in the West, for those living in Asia, particularly South Koreans, the Media Chair is a revolution. The Media Chair will be mounted with not just an ordinary recliner chair

Industry Dec. 27, 2021

South Korean President Moon Jae-in asked Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Euisun to “collaborate more closely” on automotive chips during a luncheon at Cheong Wa Dae on Monday. According to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-me, President Moon congratulated the Hyundai Motor chief for the automaker’s advancement in the European electric vehicle market and said, “I wish for Samsung and Hyundai to collaborate more closely

Industry Dec. 27, 2021

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who doubles as head of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has called for a justifiable and practical approach to dealing with the governance structure issue of South Korean conglomerates. “Samsung had a leader who jumped into semiconductor (business) and overcame difficult challenges. Without such structure, who could have had managed such risks?” the KCCI chief told reporters during a year-end conference held Wednesday in Seoul. “

Industry Dec. 26, 2021

South Korean conglomerate Doosan Group said Thursday it will unveil innovations centered on hydrogen and robotics technologies at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show. Under the theme “delightful life,” Doosan Group and its major affiliates will showcase their latest innovations at a 450-square-meter booth at the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center from Jan. 5-8, local time. The West Hall is where mobility, auto and self-driving companies are grouped. Doosan Group Chairm

Industry Dec. 23, 2021

Chinese authorities have finally approved SK hynix’s acquisition of Intel’s NAND and SSD business, the company said Wednesday. Though SK hynix and Intel signed the $9 billion deal in October last year, it has been waiting for approval from China for more than a year due to tensions with the US. In the chip industry, to prevent one company from dominating the market, mergers and acquisitions require antitrust approval from the US, the European Union, South Korea, Taiwan, Brazil, t

Industry Dec. 22, 2021

The world is full of irony. Electric vehicles, which are supposed to be eco-friendly modes of transportation, are mounted with chips and batteries that generate polluting gases in the manufacturing process. To make semiconductors, harmful gases are required, such as CF4, C2F6, SF6 and NF3. These ozone-destroying greenhouse gases take up to 50,000 years to decompose in the atmosphere, and are far more potent than carbon dioxide, which takes 50-200 years to break down. As calls for environmen

Industry Dec. 22, 2021

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and CEO Han Jong-hee said Thursday that the global tech giant will unveil innovative technologies centered on customization, seamlessness and sustainability at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show. In his editorial posted on Samsung Newsroom, the head of Samsung Electronics’ device experience division underscored that the “one-size-fits-all” strategy can no longer apply in the consumer electronics market as users are seeking more personalized,

Industry Dec. 22, 2021