“But trouble came when Mr. Yu pulled out an Apple iPad, held it up and remarked about how nicely it displays electronic books,” Ramstad and Woo report. “The problem is, South Korea’s communications regulators haven’t approved the device for wireless networking in the country.”
Ramstad and Woo report, “Tech-industry bloggers pounced on Mr. Yu, criticizing him for using a device that isn’t even available in South Korea yet.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
It also is not racist to say that Americans eat a lot of “meat” that barely qualifies to be called that.
So, is it beer or wine with dog meat?
@SBG –
Taedonggang beer
A good choice!
http://tiny.cc/3jvya
Cheers from the biggest beer drinking per capita capital on Earth – Australia
@ MizuInOz,
Hey thanks, I’d give it a try. The beer, that is.
And congratulations on first place. A worthy accomplishment.
They can prosper so easy in the united states but when our products comes to there market they try everything to stop it. What gives? They are so one-sided dealers.
iPads in the IT Korea’s Closet
If you are planning to use your iPad in Seoul Metro, just forget it. Not only will your act induce unnecessary staring from people who are sitting and standing around you, it will make you a criminal–liable for a maximum fine of 18,000 dollars. And your crime? Possessing your new hip electronic device from Apple. To be more precise, the iPad.
Yeah, I’m not talking about countries like Israel. (the country, in fact, has its valid reasons for not allowing this powerful Wi-Fi communications tool.) I’m talking about what’s happening in the self-proclaimed emerging “IT superpower.”
Since the official U.S. release of the iPad on April 3, early adopters, tech journalists, Apple fanboys, software developers, and newly converted iPhone users–many in this techie crowd here have been waiting eagerly to get their hands on this newest gadget from Apple.
Actually, some just couldn’t wait. Many third-party websites popped up where you could order your iPad and had it delivered by express shipping. (One media estimate said recently that there were already more than 1000 iPad available in Korea through these purchase agents and personal air delivery.) Then, all of a sudden, blogs were full of iPad reviews, almost all of them passionately enthusiastic about how simple but versatile their new gizmos were.
Such excitement over Apple’s iPad is, in fact, part of a global trend. In other Asian countries, such as Singapore, Taiwan, and China (Hong Kong), iPads are already being sold in good numbers at a handsome premium. Some Canadians are crossing the Canadian-US border to visit the nearest Apple store in nearby US cities.
But in Korea, there’s one more reason. It took more than two years before Korean tech enthusiasts finally got their genunine iPhones through official release. Mobile service providers such as KT and SKT had kept saying that things weren’t ready and the iPhone wasn’t worth your trouble. Simply put, they lied. And they lied badly–to maintain their status quo.
In the IT industry, two years is more like a decade. That’s exactly the amount of time it took for the Apple’s App store to grow from selling 0 to more than 180,000 apps. Before the iPhone’s release, Koreans were proud of their newest “haptic” Samsung cellphones–something they thought only “IT Korea” could present to the world. How would any other nationals know the “jittery” sensation you feel when you type a phone number? Oops! Unfortunately, we never knew that the rest of the world was so excited about a totally different kind of sensation: that smooth feel you enjoy when stroking the iPhone’s touch screen!
The two years from 2007 to 2009 were analogous to a lost decade in Korea’s IT industry. And we consumers felt betrayed. More aptly put, we were “violated.” So, when we heard about the iPad’s release, this time we were determined not to make the same mistake: trusting IT Korea to make happen what’s best for us. This time, we wanted to pioneer our own destiny; we wanted to be our own trailblazers.
Still, we are being stopped once again. Through government lobbying, KT and SKT have come up with yet another excuses to contain our fever pitch of Apple products. Perhaps they just want to help us consumers, by making sure that we don’t waste our money on a first generation product, that we don’t spend all our money purchasing expensive iPad apps, that we don’t become beta testers by being early adopters. Sorry, but you guys are a little too friendly. Thanks, but no thanks.
I’m still waiting for my iPad to arrive. But I don’t feel as enthusiastic as I should be, for mobile “Big Brothers” are watching us. These brothers have taken away my chances to preen my new tech toy in all public places–cafes, bus stops, and good old subways. With the newly imposed iPad ban, I’m sure the only safe place for my iPad is my closet, and it won’t come out any time soon.
Seriously, Asia is really weird..
Okay, there is something that needs to be cleared up here:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a person using an iPad. However, since the Korean government is forbidding the entry of iPads purchased electronically or via buying services– asserting that the device needs to be “wirelessly approved”– it became a controversy because it was ironic that a high government official using it. According to some leading gizmo websites in Korea, such as bloter.net or clien.net, there are approximately 150-200 iPads currently held up in Korean customs. It is, however, approved only that the device’s purpose is for “research”.
The culture ministry gave out a statement saying that the very iPad used was intended for “research”, but no one really believes that statement which seems quite lame. Korea is in some way more repressed in regulations… really weird for a “democracy”.
@ Golden Alpha and Samuel interesting reads
I want to add I get started at and strange looks as it is when i’m in public. Having an iPad isn’t going to be a big deal to me. So a few more people stare. haha.
Another reason I heard for the iphone delay was all the political red tape regulations that had to be overcome by Apple before the iphone could go on sale. Which was probably just more intentional blocking.
I think is that since the ipod touch and iphone are out in Korea the iPad will come eventually. I have noticed in some Apple stores they are already carrying accessories for the iPad.
A funny thing is that as “wired” as Korea is there are very few WIFI hotspots. The spread of WIFI technology and capability was suppressed by companies like KT and SKT for fear WIFI would cut into their profits. However I think soon WIFI will become more prevalent in Korea.
@Big Als MBP
? I don’t get your point… Greeks and Turks in Germany?! Hmm, just to inform you, they live fine there. And actually there live more Turks in Berlin than in Ankara…
@ DLMeyer … “Dog is a perfectly fine meat”
Sure dog meat is no different from kitten meat or cow meat or pig meat or sheep meat.
Unfortunately that is likely to be your only experience of the meat, stuffing your mouth full and feeling replete and satisfied.
Well my friend take a look at this website and see the truth and tell everyone how palatable and fine dog meat is from Korea or chicken from USA.
I warn you and other people that this a very distressing website about dogs being treated horrifically.
The video should make you cry in heartache and then cry out in anger.
Personally I don’t think you will look because I don’t think you have the balls.
http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/dog.html
http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/video.html#Companion_Animals
Whether dogs or cats are brought to be slaughter to become food or fur products, the methods are uncaring, brutal and blatantly cruel. But that was Asia, what happens in western world abattoirs will concern you just as much.
–
It’s not a simple issue of eating deciding to consume flesh, it’s about understanding the journey of the cow, pig, chicken, dog, calf, lamb and all the others animals have taken from their birth to arriving at your plate.
The food is advertised and sold to you sanitised of guilt, devoid of emotion and confident of your apathetic regard to torment, distress, agony, suffering, pain, anguish and misery.
Oh and here are SOME of American chook factories, it’s not just Asia.
Industrialised farming is very sick concept when it comes to animal welfare … $ $ $ and compassion do not mix.