While we’re over here, yammering on and on about sexting and the best ways to do it, things are moving in a bit of a different direction in South Korea. The country’s government is currently rolling out a plan to block swearing and pornography on all its teenagers’ phones. More »
With today’s society, we’re sure that most parents will be appalled by the things their teens say when they text their friends, what with all the abbreviations, acronyms and swearing involved. While it is debatable as to whether it is right to invade the privacy of your teen, the South Korean government is hoping to do that for parents by installing software on the smartphones of teenagers that will block “illegal” and “harmful” information which includes swear words, slang and access to internet pornography. We’re not sure how exactly this will work out and how this software will be installed, but it definitely sounds like an interesting plan.
South Korea has been known for taking rather proactive steps when it comes to their youths, implementing curfews for gaming, such as the banning of gaming after midnight for underaged gamers, as well as curbing the number of consecutive hours underaged gamers are allowed to play online games. The government is hoping that with all of this, young children will learn to do more “positive” things that don’t necessarily involve staying at home glued to the computer screen for long hours.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Airport Chatter Makes Travel More Social On Your iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S4 Launching April With S Pen [Rumor],
The 2.5-mile wide demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea is the most heavily contested stretch of land on the planet. And if the massive contingent of troops, tanks, bunkers, and land mines weren’t enough of a trespassing deterrent, this eagle-eyed auto-targeting gun turret should do the trick. More »
Last year, the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) told us there were five billion mobile subscriptions worldwide at the close of 2010, and now it’s reporting that at the end of 2011, that figure hit a staggering six billion.
Interestingly, the number of global mobile broadband subscriptions now outnumbers fixed ones by two to one, and mobile internet services showed the biggest growth rates in 2011: 40% worldwide and 78% in developing markets. The ITU attributes the latter figure to the relatively high price of fixed access in these countries, and the increasing availability of mobile alternatives. The CTIA also commented on mobile broadband use, reporting that from July 2011 to June this year, Americans consumed 104 percent more data — no doubt due, in part, to people taking advantage of expanding 4G coverage. As usual, we’ve given you the cheat sheet, so if you’d like the full reports and have got a thing for statistics, there’s plenty more in the source links below.
[Image credit: Chris Jordan]
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wireless, Internet, Mobile
International Telecommunication Union: worldwide mobile subscriptions hit six billion in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple and Samsung have been recreating the Cold War through their own mutually assured destruction policy, and nowhere is that more apparent than their Pyrrhic victories in South Korea. For Apple, however, the pain will be just a little easier to bear. A Seoul court has confirmed that it’s staying the ban on older iPads and iPhones until Apple can complete the appeals process; the Cupertino crew won’t face the full penalty unless the appeals court upholds the verdict. Samsung hasn’t yet asked for a similar pause on a ban covering some of its Android devices, though, which could lead to at least a momentarily lopsided situation in Samsung’s home country. It’s nonetheless a brief reprieve in a war that sadly won’t end anytime soon.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Apple, Samsung
South Korea delays ban on iPads and iPhones until Apple can appeal originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Bloomberg | Email this | Comments
It was pretty much inevitable, and true to its promise, Samsung has announced the availability of Android 4.1 for the Galaxy S III. Now before you get too excited, it appears that the upgrade applies only to the SHW-M440S variant, which is specific to Samsung’s home turf in South Korea. Nonetheless, if the translation is correct, the new Jelly Bean release is said to bring usability improvements to the home screen, along with the ability to pause movies during recording and a smart rotation feature to the camera. Samsung’s Kies software is specifically mentioned in the announcement post, although it looks as if an over-the-air install may be possible as well. Hopefully this news is a sign that certification for the global model and its domestic counterparts is just around the corner.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung
Samsung announces Android 4.1 availability for Galaxy S III in South Korea originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Samsung Tomorrow (1) (translated), (2) | Email this | Comments
If Google-lovin’ Koreans were a little jealous after seeing Eric Schmidt turn up in Japan with a Nexus 7-shaped gift under his arm, they needn’t be. It looks like the Executive Chairman brought another one along with him on his Asian travels. It wasn’t just the hardware that came along for the ride either, with The Next Web reporting that the firm also made movies available in the countries edition of Google Play. The Korean asking price will be a reported KRW 299,000 (about $267) for the 16GB edition, a smidgen less than its neighbor’s (¥19,800 / $312). We suspect, though, not quite enough to warrant a ferry ride.
Filed under: Tablets
Nexus 7 comes to South Korea, causes price envy across the water originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 11:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink The Next Web | Google (Korea) | Email this | Comments
Looking for Samsung’s latest big phone? Get yourself over to Korea, where the Galaxy Note II has kicked off its launch “world tour” with a party in the center of Seoul. The 5.5-inch Jelly Bean superphone will be available across SKT, KT and LG U+ carriers, supporting LTE connectivity on all three, available in 32GB and 64GB storage offerings. The Galaxy Note II will eventually arrive in 128 countries — and we’re expecting a US arrival date sometime in November, on even more carriers than its Korean debut.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Samsung Galaxy Note II launches on three carriers in Korea originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 07:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Sammyhub | Samsung (Flickr), Samsung Tomorrow | Email this | Comments
If there’s one thing that defines the phablet, it’s not hand portability — what’s on the market usually demands something of a stretch. Pantech wants to keep our grip at least slightly in check through its imminent Vega R3. The Android phone’s 5.3-inch, IPS-based LCD isn’t what we’d call modest, but it’s framed by an extra-thin bezel that Pantech claims is still comfortable in one hand. The R3 will be powerful, no matter how you hold it. It touts the same quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro we just saw in the LG Optimus G along with 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera and a 2,600mAh battery that can top up 100 minutes. South Koreans can pick up the Vega R3 from one of their three major carriers on September 25th. Sadly, we’re not expecting an American variant of the design given an emphasis on cheaper and smaller Pantech models in the US.
Continue reading Pantech Vega R3 packs Snapdragon S4 Pro, 5.3-inch screen into one hand
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Pantech Vega R3 packs Snapdragon S4 Pro, 5.3-inch screen into one hand originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 04:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Talk Android | Android Authority | Email this | Comments
Atlantic City can keep its fancy projection mapping system. This animatronic wall, dubbed the Hyper-Matrix by its creators at the South Korea-based Johnpasang media group, recently made its debut at the Hyundai Exhibition Pavilion at the 2012 Yeosu EXPO. It relies on a massive grid of computer-controlled pistons to move a wall of Styrofoam blocks. Check out the Making Of video to get a sense of the incredible amount of dedication, effort, and precision engineering that went into its construction. [Buzzfeed] More »
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