Korean IPTV service LG Uplus launches a Google TV-powered set-top box

While we’ve seen the Google TV platform spread to additional manufacturers and some new lower-priced form factors, LG Uplus (not the same as LG Electronics) is the first we’ve seen offering a set-top box for its IPTV service based on it. new and existing customers alike can opt for the U+TV G, which will blend live TV streams, video on-demand and Google TV apps. Rapper Psy will be playing a large part in a national campaign to promote the offering, and after making Korea the tenth country Google TV is available in, Google says it will continue to work with providers around the world. Jumping inside the cable box is a notable move for the project, however at home hasn’t significantly improved integration beyond that originally offered by Dish Network, and it’s not even built into the Google Fiber set-top box.

Google TV Blog, LG UPlus

WSJ: 2012 iPhone to support global 4G LTE

Now we’re intrigued. It’s a common (if unconfirmed) belief that the next iPhone will support LTE-based 4G, but the Wall Street Journal now understands through the ever-present “people familiar with the matter” that Apple is taking 4G worldwide. Where the current iPad only supports two LTE frequencies and drops to HSPA+ outside of the US and Canada, the new iPhone will supposedly cover parts of Asia and Europe as well. The exact countries haven’t been outlined, although it’s easy to imagine Apple going for those countries where 4G speeds matter the most: there’s been rumblings of talks with KT and SK Telecom in South Korea, but we could also see France, Germany, Japan and Scandiavian countries in the mix. The rumor hasn’t been confirmed, of course. That said, the iPhone was already purported to be using a new cellular chipset — and a number of carriers, most often in the US, have long said they won’t carry new smartphones unless LTE is part of the package. We’ll know the full scoop on Wednesday.

Wall Street Journal

LG’s 27-inch V720 all-in-one PCs pop up on Flickr, IPS and optional Ivy Bridge in tow

LG has unveiled the V720, a new series of all-in-one PCs, featuring 27-inch IPS HD panels and an Intel Ivy Bridge processor option. The line consists of a high-end model with Intel’s 3rd generation Core i5 and an IPS 1,920 x 1,080 3D panel, and a lesser model with a 2nd generation Core i3 and the same display sans 3D. Other specs include 750GB SATA3 hybrid or standard drives, up to 8GB DDR3 RAM, USB 3.0 and NVIDA’s GT640M 1GB graphics. Photos show a white and silver looker with well concealed computer guts, but don’t count on being able to pick up one of the minimalist units in the US — LG normally keeps its PC offerings exclusively in Asia.

LG (Flickr, translated)

Samsung shows off production 55-inch OLED HDTVs at the 2012 World’s Fair

We got a first hand look at Samsung’s stunning 55-inch OLED HDTV prototypes earlier this year during CES, but now it’s surprising the world by showing off the first mass produced ES9500 models at the 2012 World’s Fair (which is apparently still a thing?) in Korea. Beyond the Smart Interaction voice and gesture control, Smart Content and Smart Evolution upgradeable dual-core CPU features found in its other high-end HDTVs, Samsung has also built in Smart Dual View technology. This lets users watch two different programs (2D) on one screen at the same time using the set’s 3D glasses. Since each pixel is individually lit, Samsung says its OLED tech has 20 percent better color reproduction than existing LED-backlit LCD HDTVs. There’s still no word on exactly when these will ship and for how much, however with competition on the way from LG, these fresh-off-the-factory-line flat panels are a sign we won’t be waiting long. Other than new display tech, Samsung also took the opportunity to officially announce bigger LCD models on the way in sizes from 60- to 75-inches. Check the galleries below for a few pictures straight from the expo, as well as our shots of the CES display.

Samsung Tomorrow

LG launches LG Cloud, blows raspberries at S-Cloud

Four days before the purported launch of Samsung’s cloud service, Korea’s other technology giant has unveiled LG Cloud. The eponymous service offers 5GB free space as standard, while owners of LG’s Smart TVs or smartphones will get 50GB free for six months. It’ll push content between your devices, appropriately compressed for the medium, so high definition images on your TV will be slimmed down to save your phone’s data cap. The free beta begins in South Korea and the US from May 1st, with a global rollout pencilled in for next year — but don’t worry, the company made it clear you’ll be able to use it on your holidays, if you can find a signal.

Electronista

LG Cloud

LG renames Optimus LTE to Optimus True HD LTE, disses Samsung’s HD Super AMOLED

While the Optimus LTE’s already made its way to South Korea, Japan and the US (in the guise of the Spectrum and the Nitro HD), LG’s decided to give this dual-core handset a new name ahead of its Hong Kong launch at the end of this month. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Optimus True HD LTE. Alas, the “true HD” part here doesn’t actually mean the phone’s getting 1080p resolution on a 4.5-inch panel (which would be 490ppi; yet Toshiba’s actually done it!); but we were told that ’tis really just a dig at Samsung’s HD Super AMOLED technology — you know, the magic behind that 4.65-inch screen on the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II HD LTE.

Simply put, LG doesn’t think that 1,280 x 720 on PenTile counts as HD due to the lower number of sub-pixels; and while it’s at it, the company also criticized AMOLED’s over-expressed colors and higher power consumption in “normal user environment” — for the latter, LG showed that its AH-IPS has a more consistent power consumption across varying levels of overall whiteness. You can see the relevant slides after the break.

Samsung Galaxy M offers up Super AMOLED for less

Samsung’s 2011 flagship still tantalizingly out of your wallet’s reach? Well, you might be tempted by the latest addition to the Galaxy family that’s just gone official in Korea. While the shell appears nigh-on indistinguishable from the previously announced Galaxy R, there are some notable spec differences. The M totes a four-inch Super AMOLED screen, not the Super Clear LCD found on the R, while there’s also only a single-core 1GHz processor here, not the dual-core Tegra 2 found on its older brother. The camera has also felt the pinch, shrinking from a five megapixel to a three megapixel offering. The Gingerbread handset measures in at just under 10mm thick, while still packing a TV tuner and a metallic body more similar to the Wave series than the plastic-backed Galaxy family. The M moniker places it in the high-end affordable spectrum, according to Sammy’s latest naming strategy, priced at around $500, although there’s no news on a release outside of its homeland just yet. The phone will arrive in three confusing color options; Platinum Silver [above], Blue Black and Lavender Pink. See whether the specification trade-off is worth it for a dose of Super AMOLED goodness by inspecting the source below.

Samsung (translated)

LG’s thin and mighty P330 laptop surfaces at Korean retailer

Remember that 452 13.3-incher we covered back when it was warm? The one that had everything going for it except precise release info? Well, it’s finally dragged itself out of the factory and onto the shelves of a Korean retailer. Unfortunately, the Core i7 processor has been replaced by an i5-2435M running at 2.4GHz, but that’s hardly a deal breaker — and it’s possible a higher specced variant will eventually see daylight too. The other key credentials are all in tact: an NVIDIA GeForce GT555M taking care of the visuals, a 40GB / 640GB SSD and HDD combo for snappier performance, and an IPS display built into an all-metal 1.7kg (3.6-pound) chassis. The price is listed as ₩1,364,000, which converts to a hefty $1,220 — but we wouldn’t be surprised if LG takes that down to below the MBP thresholdwhen the product comes stateside.

Innomart [Korean]

LG LU6200 spotted in the wild, with 720p HD display taking center stage

If LG’s tease routine didn’t whet your appetite for the LU6200, these freshly leaked pics might do the trick. Obtained by Korean site Money Today, these in-the-wild images appear to corroborate many of the specs we’ve already heard about, including that 4.5-inch AH-IPS display at 720p resolution, eight megapixel camera and 1.3 megapixel front-facing shooter. This device is also rumored to feature a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of built-in storage and will reportedly ship with Android 2.3.5, though it’ll be ready to update to the forthcoming Ice Cream Sandwich, as well. The LU6200 is expected to hit the Korean market sometime next month, where it’ll run on LG Telecom’s U+ LTE network, but you can check out an extra image of its commodious display after the break.

PocketDroid

Money Today (Translated)

Samsung moves to block iPhone 5 in Korea, expands its anti-Apple offensive

Well, since Samsung couldn’t get an early peek at the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, the company has simply decided to take a page from Apple’s playbook. A senior exec told The Korea Times it plans to file a request to block the sale of the upcoming iOS handset in its Korean homeland the moment the device is announced. According to the Times, the anonymous exec said it would leverage its wireless technology patents and demand that Apple either remove the telecommunications features — turning the iPhone into an iPod touch — or simply be banished from the Korean market. The knock-down-drag-out war between the two companies has only seemed to escalate in recent weeks, as Sammy has taken a much more combative and offensiveapproach. We can only hope the two get tired of divvying up the globe and declare a draw in this game of patent Risk.

The Korea Times

Google’s South Korean offices raided over alleged antitrust violations

Google’s South Korea offices have been raided by federal authorities once again — this time, over alleged antitrust violations. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) stormed Google’s Seoul offices on Tuesday, amid claims that the company unfairly stifles competition by making its search engine the default option on Android handsets. South Korea’s largest mobile search operators, NHN and Daum Communications, filed a complaint with the KFTC in April, claiming that Android is “systematically designed” to discourage users from switching to different portals, and that Google excludes competitors by delaying OS certification for phone manufacturers that attempt to pre-load devices with other search engines. Similar charges, as you may recall, fueled an FTC investigation in the US, where anti-competitive allegationshave been flying around for a few months, now. Google neither confirmed nor denied that yesterday’s raid took place, but a spokesperson said the company would “work with the KFTC to address any questions they may have about our business,” adding that its OS does “not require carriers or manufacturers to include Google Search or Google applications on Android-powered devices.”

Wall Street Journal

Samsung launches YP-R2, YP-Z3, MP3 HD compatible PMPs

Samsung has had its sights set on a PMP with MP3 HD support for some time now — first announcing (and later killing) the IceTouch in 2010, and now launching the YP-R2 and YP-Z3 in markets including Russia and Korea. Claiming that the lossy/lossless HD MP3 sound is five times better than the standard variety, the company will put it to the test with access to Melon, Korea’s largest 2.2 million song music store. So far, Samsung has only confirmed the R2 has a 3-inch WQVGA full touch display, is .3-inches thick and weighs around 52 grams, while the Z3, on the other hand has a 1.8-inch display and measures in at 36 grams. The music players also support photo and text viewing, FM radio and 5.1-channel surround sound. The R2 comes in black and silver and costs 149,000 KRW ($140) for 4GB, and 169,000 KRW ($160) for 8GB. The Z3 comes in white, pink and blue and costs 89,000 KRW ($83) for 4GB, and 119,000 KRW for 8GB ($110). There’s no word yet if these devices will ever see US release, but check out the source for more pictures.

Electronista

Samsung (Korean)

LG launches Nano LED backlit LW9800 HDTVs

While LG’s 2011 HDTV lineup has been largely a success so far — we found a lot to like in the LW5600 we reviewed and quarterly earnings seem to justify its 3D and LED technology — some wouldn’t be satisfied without an LED backlit (rather than edge lit) option. That issue is solved now with the new LW9800 series, shown off here in Korea as the LW980S. Announced in two sizes, 55- and 47-inches, both feature “Nano LED” local dimming with as many as 2,300 sources in the larger one and 480Hz motion technology. They also include other LG standard features like Cinema 3D, Magic Motion gesture remote control and its Smart TV menus as well as built-in WiFi, but the big draw here is the deep blacks and a claim of the industry’s highest 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Check the press release after the break for a few more details while we wait to get our eyes on the new models in September at IFA 2011.

LG (Korea)

LG's 20-inch DX2000 3D monitor don't need no glasses to be enjoyed

In our experience, soaking in the third dimension on a panel smaller than 40-some-odd inches isn’t exactly a jaw-dropping affair, but if you’re residing in cramped quarters… well, your options are somewhat limited. Outside of strapping something on your dome, you’ll probably be in the market for a more diminutive set, and LG’s DX2000 just might fit the bill. It’s a 20-inch LED-backlit 3D monitor, but unlike the legions of alternatives, this one’s of the glasses-free variety. It relies on parallax barrier technology (read: not the most sophisticated), but ups the ante by throwing in the world’s first eye-tracking feature on a panel of this stature. In theory, said feature allows users to move about in front of the screen, perhaps expanding those exceedingly narrow “sweet spots” that have worried viewers for years now. We’re also told that there’s a 2D-to-3D conversion feature, and while it’s destined to hit Korean streets later this month, other regions are slated to get it during the latter part of 2011.

Akihabara News

Samsung's 75-inch D9500 3D TV announced for Korea, doubles as wind shield

3D is best served on a large plate, which is why Samsung’s latest HDTV got us all dribbling over our TV munchies. This 75-inch platter, dubbed D9500, has stolen the short-lived crown off LG’s 72-inch LZ9700 to become the world’s largest LED-backlit 3D LCD HDTV, and obviously Samsung’s still staying faithful to its active shutter 3D technology following its recent price drop on its glasses. The 240Hz display will also come with the usual Smart TV features, garnished by a QWERTY flip remote for your web-browsing and SNS needs on that large screen. Oddly enough, only an ex-factory price of a whooping ₩19,000,000 ($17,600) is quoted here, so customers will have to pay a bit more than that during the pre-sales at the end of the month. Alternatively, you can hold off your shopping spree until Samsung pushes out its 70-inch “Ultra Definition” 3DTV.

Samsung SENS-240 Navigation Tablet is strange and familiar

It’s been a few years but iriver just released an updated version of its NV GPS navigator with SPINN UI. Wa… wait a second, that’s a Samsung logo. Sorry, this is the Samsung SENS-240, a hybrid car navigation system / tablet that plays nice with your Android-powered Samsung smartphone or, uh, tablet. According to Akihabara News, the SENS-240 uses Bluetooth to take over your voice, data, voice search, and even “video features” from your smartphone when driving. You can then control the SENS-240 using your smarpthone or tablet as an “advanced” remote when idle. The details behind how this works, or why you’d want to do it, is a mystery. We do know that the SENS-240 comes packing 256MB of RAM, USB-host mode, and an SD slot in addition to a 1.43GHz processor (of unknown origins) said to be powerful enough to handle 3D maps, video, or DMB TV on that 7-inch, 800 x 480 pixel display. Oh, and it’s Korea-only for now.

LG Optimus Big brings a 4.3-inch NOVA display and 1GHz dual-core to the superphone party

What’s big, mostly white, and set for a Korean launch tomorrow? That’s right, the LG Optimus Big! This 4.3-inch whopper, LG’s largest handset to date, touts a 1GHz dual-core processor, a slightly skinned Android 2.2 as its OS, HDMI output, a 5 megapixel camera, and 16GB of built-in storage. That spec sheet sounds mighty close to the elder Optimus 2X that launched earlier in the year, though a couple of items have also been borrowed from the still unreleased Optimus Black. They are the NOVA display, which can crank all the way up to 700 nits of brightness, and WiFi Direct, which allows for wireless inter-device communication without the need for an intermediary WiFi access point. This big, delicious spec sandwich is hitting its home market on April 28th, but there’s sadly no word on when and where else it might show up. Just keep an eye out for it, shouldn’t be that hard to spot.

Samsung RF712 gaming laptop promises ultra-bright 3D, an end to dimness (video)

Dell has already put 3D to good effect in its high-end Alienware models, but Samsung claims the screen on its new RF712 gaming laptop will have industry-leading brightness, helping it to overcome the dimming effect of wearing 3D glasses. The 17.3-inch screen will employ the same Super Bright Plus technology that stunned us in its Series 9 laptop, but this time at a higher Full HD resolution. The stated brightness is 400-nits — as much as double what you might to expect to find in an average LCD and perhaps even enough for a LAN party outdoors in the sunshine (ok, maybe not). Other specs include a second generation quad-core Intel CPU, 2GB-worth of AMD HD6650M graphics, 750GB hard drive and USB 3.0. The RF712 will start selling in South Korea on May 2nd for ₩2.6million (about $2,400), but it could be a while before it hits international shores. Until then, we will be standing here wearing our active Bluetooth 3D glasses and looking out for a 400-nit speck on the horizon.

Samsung launches 3D VOD service in Korea, tells US and Europe to get ready

Samsung’s promised 3D video streaming service has gotten the official go-ahead in the company’s home nation today, bringing to fruition a content partnership with DreamWorks Animation and breathing new life into many 3DTV sets. The machine-translated press release isn’t entirely lucid on what content will be provided when, but it looks like movie trailers, music videos and children’s education films will start things off, before full-length features and more are added later on. All the new on-demand media will be accessible via the 3D application on Samsung’s Smart TV platform. The United States and Europe are next on Sammy’s roadmap for this VOD rollout, but don’t fret if yo live elsewhere, the service will be available all around the world in due course.

Samsung prices 950 Series 3DTVs in Korea, rest of the world soon to follow (video)

We’ve been keenly tracking the progress of these 3D displays from Samsung, from their pre-CES tease — where we were first told they were TVs, then monitors, then it turned out they were monitors with optional TV tuners — through their official launch and now to their first pricing and availability. South Korea is the unsurprising debut market for the 950 and 750 Series, both 27-inchers, discernible by their design, which in the 950′s case is asymmetric and in the 750′s is all about the thin bezel. A 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 2ms response time, 1080p resolution, and a litany of input ports await the buyer of either one, but he’d better bring a well-fed wallet to this party — the 27TA950 reportedly costs 890,000 KRW (nearly $800) whereas the 27TA750 is an 840,000 KRW outlay (just over $750). Not exactly value models, but those prices will likely change when the pair go international at some point later this month.