Picture of the Day

 

Sales of Galaxy S3 top 30 mln mark

Officials at Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest maker of smartphones, take a commemorative photo on Nov. 4, 2012, after global sales of the Galaxy S3 topped the 30 million mark, just five months after its debut. (Yonhap).

 (Courtesy of Samsung Electronics)
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Samsung Launches Cheaper Galaxy S3 for Emerging Markets

Samsung Electronics unveiled a slightly more affordable version of its top-end Galaxy S3 smartphone on Wednesday.

The Galaxy S3 Premier, unveiled in Ukraine, targets developing markets like Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Latin America and Africa.

It looks much like the Galaxy S3, but has a slightly smaller 4.65-inch display with lower resolution. It also has lower processor and RAM specifications.  Just one new smartphone a year, Samsung puts out a variety of models targeting specific markets.

Watch your diet to fight diabetes

If there are diseases that can be controlled to some extent by what you eat, diabetes could be one of them. While the number of people suffering from the disease has been increasing steadily, with one out of ten Koreans fighting diabetes, there have been few professional and useful guidebooks on how they should eat.

The Korea Times will introduce some recipes from the “Best Recipes to Fight Diabetes” by Professor Cha Bong-soo at the Severance Hospital of Yonsei University Health System, the Nutrition Team at the hospital and CJ Freshway, published by Vita Books from next week. It opened a new chapter in recipe books here as it was prepared by diabetes and nutrition experts as well as a leading food service company in the country.

The book says that diabetes is often due to bad dietary habits and lifestyle. Korea is seeing a steep surge in diabetes patients from two decades ago, and this has to do with changes in diet and lifestyle: People are eating fat and high calorie instant food instead of vegetables and fermented foods that their ancestors used to enjoy. Cars and home electronics, meanwhile, have lessened physical exercise. As people eat too much, the body absorbs too much glucose, and increasing amounts of insulin are needed to deal with it. The pancreas, which secretes insulin, becomes overloaded, slowly losing its capability to remove glucose.

Below are some tips for diabetes patients from the book.

— Diabetes patients don’t have to be vegetarians. The fiber in vegetables slows down absorption of glucose, thus preventing a steep rise in blood sugar levels. Many people think they should quit meat when they become diabetic, but such an imbalanced diet may produce other health problems. They should take meat that has abundant protein but little fat.

— Fasting or eating too little isn’t a solution. While sugar pulls up blood sugar level, it is an essential energy source. Limiting it too much in the diet may incur hypoglycemia. Experts advise that they eat adequate amounts, regularly.

— Fruits raise blood sugar levels, though not as fast as the sugar. They should take limited amount of fruit.

— Refrain from snacks. The snacks taken between meals make you gain weight. A pack of cookies, a slice of bread and a drink don’t seem to be too much but they give an extra 1,000 calories.

— Know the glycemic index. There are foods that raise blood sugar level faster than others. These foods have a high glycemic index. Brown rice and whole wheat bread have a low glycemic index while the figures are high for white rice and white bread. The index also shows that apples and pears are better than tropical fruits such as bananas and mangoes.

— Eat slowly. It takes at least 20 minutes after starting eating for the brain to note that you are full. The blood sugar level also rises steeply when you eat fast. Diabetes patients should eat slowly so that insulin can handle the glucose.

— Avoid alcohol. On top of its own calories, alcohols stimulate appetite. It will make one take excessive calories, which will lead to abdominal fat that causes diabetes. A glass or two is enough.

— Eat onions and fruits, and use aspartame instead of sugar for cooking.

 

'Find your own feminine identity'

Fashion designer Lee Seung-hee, top, poses in her showroom in Sindang-dong

Lee Seung-hee is a fashion designer who perfectly understands the contour and curves of the female body and creates the simplest yet most sophisticated designs.

The 37-year-old runs her own label, Leyii, and in the last three years has successfully crafted a distinct reputation for herself as a bourgeoning international fashion icon.

The Korean-born designer had her first collection presented in September and October 2009 at London Fashion Week and Seoul Fashion Week, respectively. She has also been selected as one of the designers for “Seoul’s 10 Soul,” Seoul city’s project to foster fashion designers as global talent.

Below are her Leyii creations at Seoul Fashion Week SS 2013. / Courtesy of artist

In October’s Seoul Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013, Lee showed off a collection of finely-cut pieces with unique patterns and silhouettes that struck the perfect balance for women’s bodies.

“I wanted to create something different, not dry as I would describe some designs, but something very moisturizing and rich,” Lee said Wednesday in an interview at her showroom in Sindang-dong in Seoul.

Inspired by “Dancing Box” by Korean abstract painter Kim Bong-tae, her Spring/Summer 2013 collection features three-dimensional minimalism.

 

“The painter made the dancing movements of the box into an abstract form. I found his work very interesting  so I used the entire collection to create a new way of color blocking and a constructive silhouette while introducing once again, Leyii’s unique minimal lines,” Lee said.

“I think ‘Dancing Box’ and Leyii have one thing in common. Both look flat but at the same time, they have 3D effects. These creations feature the painter’s use of boxes into color, lines and this 3D effect into a perfect minimal formula,” she added.

Asked about her source of inspiration, Lee said she often gets new, somehow quirky ideas from random things in her life.

“I believe traveling and visiting museums are just part of our leisure activities, nothing more than that. For me, even my daughter’s stickers and public advertisements can be a pointer to new inspiration for my collection” Lee said.

The designer was the center of media attention at the fashion week, thanks to the patronage of a number of high profile personalities including actress Chae Shi-ra and Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.

“You know, everyone presumes I have a large circle of acquaintances but it’s not true. I don’t even have PR for my brand, which means I have never tried celebrity endorsement. I am confident that my clothes best understand women’s physique. The celebrities came to check out my show simply because they love my creations,” she said.

Lee emphasized that during a six-year stay in the United Kingdom. “finding the best proportion” was the key principle that influenced her artistic grooming. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the London College of Fashion and a master’s from Central Saint Martin’s, both constituent colleges of the University of the Arts in London.

“My university life wasn’t so easy at first because of the language barrier. It was the biggest problem I had. I felt very left out because everyone in my class was looking at me as a stranger from a very random small Asian country,” she said. “But I never gave up. I just did what I had to do and I managed to graduate with a first class degree in the end and was even chosen as one of the best students in my group. I was ecstatic!”

Based on all the experiences from Korea and abroad, Lee is now keen to extend the contours of her business further afield. Leyii is currently stocked in such fashion boutiques as Avista showroom in Italy, Layers in the U.K., S&C in the United States and U.I.B. in Saudi Arabia.

“I also hope that I can have the chance to pass on my know-how to new designers and that more women fall in love with Leyii,” she added.

“Leyii is about creating your own identity. I hope women find their own femininity, mysteriousness and exclusiveness in my creations. And most importantly, I hope they discover their own identity in them.”

3rd int'l tourism forum held in Hawaii

Sho Jae-pil, second from left, publisher of Travel Press, presents “Plaques of Appreciation” to speakers at the 3rd Hawaii-Korea International Tourism Seminar at Waikiki Resort Hotel in Honolulu, on Oct. 18. From left are Hong Sung-won, president of Web Tour; Sho; John Jackson, vice president of marketing at Korean Air U.S. headquarters; Emily Kim, marketing director of Hawaii Tourism Korea; and Monisa Cline, vice president of worldwide sales at Hawaiian Airlines. / Courtesy of Travel Press

The 3rd Hawaii-Korea International Tourism Seminar was held in Hawaii last month at the Waikiki Resort Hotel in Honolulu, travel magazine Travel Press said Thursday.

At the event, hosted by Travel Press, around 150 participants discussed ways to meet the changing patterns of Korean tourists as well as ways to embrace the increasing number of tourists and to develop new travel products.

The seminar is the third of its kind since 2010 when it was launched in commemoration of the 30^th anniversary of the publication of the magazine.

Suh Young-kil, consul general of Korea, and Hawaii’s Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz attended the event. Among the dignitaries were Hong Sung-won, president of Web Tour; Emily Kim, marketing director of Hawaii Tourism Korea; John Jackson, vice president of marketing at Korean Air U.S. headquarters; and Monisa Cline, vice president of worldwide sales at Hawaiian Airlines.

Participants at the seminar discussed the changing travel patterns of Korean tourists since 1989 due to the rapid expansion of the Internet and social networking services.

Consul General Suh said that due to the increased flights between Incheon and Honolulu, the number of Korean tourists to the island has also increased and therefore is contributing greatly to those in the tourism industry.

He said he hopes the seminar will contribute to the development of the tourism industry in both Korea and Hawaii.

Lt. Gov. Schatz said the Hawaii Tourism Office was doing its best to embrace the growing number of Korean tourists and that the Hawaii government will soon sign a memorandum of understanding with Jeju Island in Korea to adopt smart grid and the green energy technology.

Sho Jae-pil, publisher of Travel Press, said he wished to contribute to the tourism industry in both countries by finding ways to resolve the lack of hotel rooms and travel guides.

 

 

Samsung and LG Team Up with Google to Take on Apple

Google has joined forces with Samsung and LG to make prototype smart devices featuring the Android operating system.

Google on its official blog on Monday announced the release of two new smart devices running on the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS. One is the Nexus 10 tablet PC by Samsung Electronics, with a 10.1-inch screen, and the other the Nexus 4 smartphone by LG Electronics, with a 4.7-inch screen.

Samsung and Google hope to challenge Apple in the global market for smart devices. LG also hopes to regain its former glory by showcasing its technology in the global market.

◆ Aiming for the High End

The Nexus 10 tablet PC will offer the highest resolution in the market at 300 pixels per inch. Apple’s New iPad, which was unveiled this spring with the highest screen resolution so far, has 264 ppi.

The Nexus 10 also promises faster speed and better functions than other tablet PCs, with WiFi connection speeds three to four times faster than existing wireless LAN models. It is 8.9 mm thick and weighs only 603 g.

In September, Google also turned to Taiwanese computer maker Asus to produce a prototype phone called Nexus 7, but that was an affordable mass market device, whereas the Nexus 10 aims at the high end.

Google is apparently determined to boost the status of Android devices in the global market. Apple's iPad occupies 60 percent of the global tablet PC market and Android devices the rest. But already Samsung smartphones running on Android have overtaken the iPhone to grab the No. 1 spot in the global smartphone market.

◆ Top Specifications

LG has been able to regain some of its former standing in the phone market after a period in the doldrums by offering products with superior specifications. Until now, Google has turned primarily to Samsung to produce its prototypes, but now it seems keen to diversify.

The Nexus 4 features a high-resolution, a display that boasts a better touch-screen experience than existing models. It also comes with the latest quad-core processor and 2 GB memory, the highest specification in the market at the moment.

LG plans to start selling the Nexus 4 in seven countries including the U.S., U.K. and Canada next month. LG said it hopes to step up its global marketing efforts with the release of the Nexus 4.

Enjoy Autumnal Blooms at Changwon Chrysanthemum Festival

Fireworks light up the sky on the eve of the Chrysanthemum Festival in Masan on Thursday. 

 

Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province is holding its largest-ever chrysanthemum festival, with over 90,500 flowers on display and a whopping 670,000 stalks adorning the city as a whole. The festival began last Thursday and runs until Sunday.

A ceremony held to fete the opening of the festival at Masan Port featured Korean traditional music and dancing as well as a K-pop concert and a fireworks display above the sea.

Entry is free throughout the festival, which treats visitors to themed art made from chrysanthemums. Highlights include a Pyramid and Sphinx, and two ancient pagodas from the Shilla Kingdom.

A range of events have been organized to entertain visitors including music concerts and photo contests. However, one of the biggest draws has proven to be a single stem containing 1,408 buds.

The cultivation of this remarkable flower means the festival has beaten its own Guinness World Record, which it first set in 2009 by having 1,315 flowers bloom from a single chrysanthemum. The new record was made possible by using the latest botanical technologies, according to a researcher with the city's agricultural center. "For the past 16 months, over 300 experts have taken great care to see this project bear fruit," he said.

Some 60 booths have been put up at the event venue to promote and sell chrysanthemum-related products, while flower designers are showing off their artistry and skills in a contest.

"We hope many people visit the festival to enjoy the fall while appreciating the chrysanthemums displayed here," said Cho Ki-ho, the city's vice mayor.

Changwon is striving to improve all of the festivals it hosts, including its signature cherry blossom festival in Jinhae in April, to entertain its 1.1 million local residents and draw more people from other parts of the country.

Last year's chrysanthemum festival drew 1.35 million visitors, over half of whom came from outside the city. Recognized for its contribution to the regional economy, it has been named one of the country's leading festivals by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the second straight year.