Pantech Vega LTE-A gains fingerprint-based mobile payments

South Korean firm blesses Vega LTEA with fingerprintbased mobile payments

Want to find a nifty use for the fingerprint sensor on the Pantech Vega LTE-A? Well, thanks to the hard work of two South Korean companies, it’s picking up the ability to pay for goods by authenticating with your fingerprint. This news comes from Danal, a mobile payment provider, which tapped the fingerprint technologies of Crucialtec to create the BarTong app. While the concept of fingerprint-based payments isn’t entirely new, it’s claimed to be an industry first for the mobile phone. The BarTong app is currently exclusive to South Korea, but its creator is looking to expand the payment service into the US and China. Naturally, Danal may want to hold off until fingerprint readers become more widespread in smartphones, but we certainly won’t fault the company for being ambitious.

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Via: The Next Web

Source: The Korea Herald

Details of Civilization-based MMORPG emerge, you may not get to play it

Details of the Civilization-based MMORPG emerge, you might not get to play it

Sure, you’ve controlled minions and vast armies in the Civilization games, but here’s your chance to actually be one of those underlings — at least if you live in South Korea. Civilization Online, announced late last year, is an in-development MMORPG title set in the Civ universe, and Massively has learned some of its finer details from the folks at XL Games and 2K Games (the companies crafting it in CryEngine 3). At the start, players will join one of four societies, and all will have to work together to expand across the sandbox environment and progress through the ages.

Unlike most MMOs, there will come a time when one civilization achieves certain goals and effectively “wins,” at which point the world will reset. Although combat is a part of the game, societies will also need to research, build and do various other things to become number one, much like the traditional strategy titles. Head to the source link for more info on the specifics, but don’t get too excited — Civilization Online will be launching first in Korea, and there are currently “no plans for a North American release.” Not used to things being out of your control, are you?

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Via: Destructoid, Massively

Source: Massively, PC Gamer

Wirelessly-charged electric buses start public route in South Korea

Wirelessly-charged electric buses start public route in South Korea

Wireless charging might seem perfectly suited for smartphones and tablets, but the city of Gumi, South Korea is putting the tech to use with something a little larger: buses. A pair of Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) motorcoaches, which recharge by driving over specially-equipped asphalt, are now running a public transportation route in the city, and it’s said to be the first network of its kind open for regular use. Rather than stopping periodically to jack in, coils on the coaches’ underside pick up power through an electromagnetic field created by road-embedded wires. Currently, the vehicles have a roundtrip journey of 24km (roughly 15 miles) when completing their stops.

Since the system operates so long as 5 to 15 percent of the path is electrified, there’s no need to rely on a completely rigged-up highway. What’s more, the solution is only triggered by passing OLEVs, which means that normal cars can share the same street. If this all sounds familiar, that’s because the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has been hammering away at the technology for several years. Now that it’s made it this far, the city has plans to add ten more buses to its fleet by 2015.

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Via: ExtremeTech

Source: PhysOrg

Pantech Vega LTE-A flaunts fingerprint recognition, 5.6-inch 1080p display

Pantech Vega LTE-A flaunts fingerprint recognition, 5.6-inch 1080p display

Few phones can take advantage of South Korea’s freshly-launched LTE-Advanced networks, but Pantech’s just given speed demons a new option: the Vega LTE-A. Though full details haven’t trickled out from overseas just yet, the available specs paint an impressive picture. A 5.6-inch full HD display graces the front of the handset while a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor helps the device run Android 4.2.2. What’s more, it’s toting an area for fingerprint recognition on its back. Come mid-August, folks in the hardware maker’s homeland will be able to pick up the handset for use on SK Telecom’s network. If the LTE-A variant of the Galaxy S 4 doesn’t strike your fancy, Pantech’s newest piece of kit might just be worth a look.

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Via: Yonhap News

Source: Pantech Vega (Facebook, 1), (2)

Tentative Samsung smartwatch design unearthed in Korean patents

Samsung smartwatch patents unearthed in Korea, but don't get too excited

While Samsung hasn’t been shy about its desire to build a new smartwatch, we’ve had few clues as to what that wristwear could look like. However, Moveplayer has uncovered a trio of Korean design patents that, combined, could represent a design template. Registered between March and May, the patents show a watch with both Android-style controls in the middle and a prominent flexible display. The device looks plausible, but we wouldn’t leap to conclusions — companies frequently patent designs that won’t necessarily ship. There’s also no clear connections to a previously filed Gear trademark associated with wearable technology. If Samsung ever releases a watch in this mold, though, it will at least seem very familiar.

[Thanks, JunK]

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Source: Moveplayer

South Korea’s FTC finds Google not guilty of antitrust measures

South Korea's FTC finds Google not guilty of antitrust measures

Google has been acquitted of the anti-competitive allegations brought to it more than two years ago by South Korean search operators NHN and Daum Communications, the Yonhap News reported today. Back in April 2011, the two firms accused the Mountain View company of having an unfair advantage by making its own search engine the default on the Android operating system. After a couple of raids and a lengthy review process, the local Fair Trade Commission has finally decided that Google doesn’t hurt NHN’s or Daum’s competitive chances at all. FTC officials said that both companies presently enjoy a healthy chunk of the domestic search engine market — NHN’s portal maintains a good 70 percent share, for example — and that users could easily download NHN and Daum apps onto their phones as alternatives. Chalk this one up as at least one victory in the search giant’s seemingly never-ending battle with authorities.

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Source: Yonhap

LG U+ launches LTE-Advanced network, sets sights on SK Telecom

LG Uplus is second in the world to launch LTEAdvanced network

Not long after South Korea’s SK Telecom launched the world’s first LTE-Advanced network, its homegrown rival, LG U+, will be rolling out LTE-Advanced to its customers as well, according to Yonhap News. There’s no word on what phones the new network will support, though we won’t be surprised if LG’s own Optimus G successor will be one of them. Now pardon us as we figure out a way to move to South Korea, as that’s the only place to get a taste of the zippy speeds right now.

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Source: Yonhap

Samsung ships its 55- and 65-inch 4K TVs to Korea on July 6th

Samsung ships its 55 and 65inch 4K TVs to Korea, slightly later than promised

If you’re one of the lucky 100-plus Koreans who pre-ordered one of Samsung’s F9000-series 4K TVs this June, you’ll be glad to know that you’re getting your reward very soon. The company has just announced that both the 55- and 65-inch F9000 sets should ship to Korea on July 6th. As before, the series is a more affordable yet functionally similar alternative to Samsung’s 85-inch behemoth — customers get the Ultra HD screen resolution and Evolution Kit support at relatively modest prices of 6.4 million won ($5,670) for the 55-inch TV and 8.9 million won ($7,913) for its 65-inch cousin. We’re still twiddling our thumbs waiting for a launch on this side of the Pacific, but those who need something to tide themselves over can read Samsung’s translated press release after the break.

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Source: Korea Newswire (translated)

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 hits the FCC with LTE you probably can’t use

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 80 hits the FCC with LTE you probably can't use

The FCC can be cruel sometimes, showing us devices we’re unlikely to see in the US without significant changes; this is one of those moments, unfortunately. A Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 has once again surfaced at the FCC, this time as the SM-T315 with built-in cellular access. However, it’s not optimized for American use — while there’s AT&T-friendly HSPA data, the LTE inside is only meant for a handful of other countries, like South Korea. As such, this model won’t be coming stateside unless there’s a frequency change. We’re not totally surprised at the lack of US-ready LTE when AT&T already offers the Galaxy Note 8.0, but it would be nice to have a little more variety in our 8-inch LTE slates.

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Source: FCC

Samsung reportedly shipping 55-inch OLED TV to South Korea next week

Samsung reportedly shipping 55inch OLED to South Korea next week

Samsung told us to expect its 55-inch OLED TV sometime in July, but there’s now a chance that South Koreans will get an early look. Yonhap News Agency hears through tipsters that the premium set could ship to Samsung’s homeland next week, with a price somewhere north of 10 million won ($8,840). It might not be alone, either — those same sources also claim that the company’s curved OLED TV may arrive at the same time. Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything, but such moves would line up with the firm’s tendency to debut products in its home country. Besides, Samsung rarely lets any of LG’s salvos go unanswered.

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Source: Yonhap News Agency